Reading Through Life

Show notes:

You know what’s better than reading one good book? Reading a pair of good books! Today, we’re talking about book pairings that we love and why we think the books go well together. It’s fun to read about similar themes or character arcs but from different perspectives. We hope you enjoy our picks! 

 

Click here to join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus bookish goodies! Get our monthly overflow and new books episodes, our newsletter, and more. Plus, supporting us in this way just shows that you love what we do!

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Something Bookish:

[1:59] S: We got rid of our website. Check out the RTL Substack instead.

[3:02] M: RTL t-shirt - see them in action here!

 

Book Pairings We Love:

[4:36] S: The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley and No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

[5:39] M: Let Him In by William Friend and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

[6:55] S: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Daydreams by Laura Hankin

(Bonus pairing rec: The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton)

[8:37] M: The Troop by Nick Cutter and Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

[9:54] S: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren and The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen

[11:23] M: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Making a Scene by Constance Wu

[13:18] S: The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and The Door to Door Bookstore by Carston Henn

[14:52] M: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin and Know My Name by Chanel Miller 

(Bonus pairing rec: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson)

[16:38] S: Unprotected by Billy Porter and All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Johnson

(Also mentioned: Finding Me by Viola Davis)

[18:02] M: Elevation by Stephen King and Thinner by Richard Bachman

Want our show notes delivered right to your inbox? Join our RTL Substack so that you’ll get a link for every single book we mention with no extra work. It’s free!

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleyco 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

It’s that time again - monthly reading recap time! Also, how are we in the last quarter of the year already? We’re probably going to say that each month until the end of the year, FYI. But anyway, we’re sharing the books we read in the month of September. Our favorite thing about the podcast is how we have different reading tastes and that gets a big spotlight in these recap episodes. It’s really fun to see and we hope you enjoy it, too.  

 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Something Bookish:

[2:38] S: Harrison got his own graphic novels and he’s so excited!

[3:42] M: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

The Books We Read in September:

[6:49] M: The Altered Moon by James Alan McGettigan

[9:17] S: Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly

[11:40] M: The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake #4) by Laurell K. Hamilton

[13:26] S: No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

[15:14] M: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

[18:17] S: The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson

[20:48] M: Let Him In by William Friend

[23:16] S: How to Love Your Daughter by Hila Blum

[25:28] M: Holly by Stephen King

[28:19] S: Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (February 2024)

 

[30:22] The Rest of the Books We Read in September 

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleyco 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

Let’s just be real with it: we’re very nosy people. It’s why we’ve always been interested in other people’s stories and why we love books so much. And it’s why we’re both drawn to the historical fiction genre. We get to dive into the past in a beautiful way, beyond the facts and figures and dry history textbooks. Also, we promise that there will be at least a few books that aren’t set in the WWII time period. Let’s talk about historical fiction together!

 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Something Bookish:

[1:59] S: The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man and Waffles by Steve Behling (Aug 2024)

[3:32] M: Lit Chicks Read podcast, Episode 1: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

 

Our Favorite Historical Fiction Books:

[6:58] M: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

[8:27] S: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

[9:42] M: Mary, Called Magdalene by Margaret George

[10:58] S: A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance

[12:07] M: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

[13:29] S: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

[15:07] M: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

[16:34] S: A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connelly

[18:09] M: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

[19:28] S: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

 

Our Bonus Historical Fiction Picks: 

[20:55] M:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar

• Circe by Madeline Miller

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

[21:17] S: 

• Love & Saffron by Kim Fay

• Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi

• The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah 

• Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleyco 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @miamanagementco 

 

* 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.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

Spooky season is almost upon us and we cannot wait! In this episode, we have books for wherever you fall on the spooky spectrum: from fall vibes and witchy tales to outright scary and nightmare-inducing stories and everything in between. There’s something for every spooky soul and we can’t wait to hear which ones you add to your TBR. Let’s get spooky!

 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Something Bookish:

[03:15] S: Substack: Feeling My Shelf by Alex Reliford

[4:29] M: Video: Most Anticipated Books for the Rest of the Year

 

Spooky Books We’ve Already Read and Loved:

[9:06] M: Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton

[9:54] S: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

[10:47] M: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

[11:23] S: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

[11:57] M: The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

[12:38] S: Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

[13:10] M: Mothered by Zoje Stage

[13:43] S: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

[14:42] M: River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan

[15:10] S: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

 

Books We’re Planning to Read This Spooky Season:

[16:04] S: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

[17:53] M: In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

[18:47] S: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

[20:02] M: There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

[20:52] S: Weyward by Emilia Hart 

[22:10] M: Survive the Night by Riley Sager

[23:08] S: Beasts and Beauty by Soman Chainani 

[24:40] M: Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

[25:34] S: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

[27:07] M: Cursed Bunny: Stories by Bora Chung

[28:05] S: The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

[29:47] M: Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleyco 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @miamanagementco 

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

It’s not quite fall yet, but we’re almost there and we’re so stoked about it. We love reading all year long, but there’s something about digging into books during fall and winter that just make reading a *chef’s kiss* experience. Here are 11 upcoming fall/winter releases that we want to read. Tune in and grow your TBR with us!

 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Something Bookish:

[2:40] M: Video: How to Annotate Books Like a Pro

[4:11] S: Sarah’s PangoBooks shop 

 

Upcoming Fall/Winter 2023 Releases We Want to Read:

[5:48] M: Family Meal by Bryan Washington (Oct 10)

[7:30] S: The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman (Sep 26)

[9:18] M: Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades by Rebecca Renner (Nov 14)

[10:48] S: Thicker than Water by Kerry Washington (Sep 26)

[12:09] M: A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens by Raul Palma (Oct 3)

[13:34] S: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (Oct 24)

[14:54] M: Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee (Oct 10)

[16:26] S: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Nov 8)

[18:07] M: The Future by Naomi Alderman (Nov 7)

[19:19] S: Day by Michel Cunningham (Nov 14)

[21:36] M: The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie (Dec 5)

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @miamanagementco 

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

We’re back after a short summer hiatus! Did you miss us? We missed you and we missed talking about books. In this episode, it’s our monthly recap and we’re sharing 10 books we read in August. Spoiler alert: there were only 3 five star books between us, gasp! Also, don’t miss the beginning of the episode for a very special recording!

 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

What We’re Working On:

[5:58] M: Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane

[7:02] S: Subscribe to Sarah’s newsletter, Human Feelings  

 

The Books We Read in August:

[11:18] M: Three Fates by Nora Roberts

[13:15] S: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

[15:37] M: Writers & Lovers by Lily King

[18:25] S: Out of Love by Hazel Hayes

[20:09] M: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

[22:06] S: My Husband by Maud Ventura

[23:50] M: Tell It Like It Is: My Story by Aaron Neville

[25:53] S: Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith

[27:47] M: Las Cruces by Bart Hopkins (Kane Montgomery series #2)

The Bends by Bart Hopkins (Kane Montgomery series #1)

[29:49] S: The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther

 

[31:57] The Rest of the Books We Read in August

 

Also Mentioned:

RTL Episode 7 featuring Mia’s review of Fluke by David Elliott and Bart Hopkins

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @miamanagementco 

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

In honor of our 40th birthdays (March 5th for Mia, March 15th for Sarah), we’re sharing with you our top 40 all time favorite books. They’re not in any particular order and they cross all genres and all publishing years, but we love them with our whole hearts. We’d love to know if any of these books are on your favorites list as well. Thanks for celebrating this milestone birthday with us!

 

Mia’s Top 20:

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Stand by Stephen King

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George

Ten Degrees of Reckoning by Hester Rumberg

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Fluke by David Elliott and Bart Hopkins

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Adrift by Tami Oldham Ashcraft

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger

In the Land of Dead Horses by Bruce McCandless III

 

Sarah’s Top 20:

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Already Enough by Lisa Olivera

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

Unprotected by Billy Porter

 

*We use affiliate links which gives us a small kickback if you purchase through our links - but don’t worry, there’s no extra cost to you!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

We read A LOT of books and the number one question we get is how we do it. Well, never fear, we have some great tips in this minisode for you to help you read more books more frequently. It can be done, we promise!

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Books We Both Love, Monthly Overflow Books, Bookish Conundrums, and The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO.

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

Bookish Goodies:

[3:00] Sarah - Scribd - use this link for 60 days free!

[4:15] Mia - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

[6:35] 8 Tips on How to Read More Related Links:

Episode 27: How to DNF a Book

 

Follow us on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

* 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.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

Listener-favorite episode alert! It’s our monthly recap and we’re sharing with you the books we read in July. We’re glad to report that we had an extremely good reading month with lots of 5 star books. We hope you had a good reading month, too!

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Something Bookish:

[5:48] M: Pedro Pascal bookmarks on Etsy

[6:45] S: Bookstore hack: keep a list of books you want to find on your phone

 

The Books We Read in July:

[10:25] Both: Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

[15:03] S: You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (Sept 12)

[16:44] M: Funny Bones by Dr. David Friedman

[18:15] S: Pageboy by Elliot Page

[20:27] M: The Travel Bog Diaries by Liz Deacle

[22:17] S: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

[24:08] M: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

[26:28] S: Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren

[28:50] M: The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love

 

[31:06] The Rest of the Books We Read in July

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @miamanagementco 

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes:

Happy 100th episode, woohoo! What a milestone. We’re really excited to celebrate with you in this episode. We asked and you all wanted a little bit of everything for today’s show and we are happy to oblige. We play a fun game, share some of our favorite books so far this year, and we reflect back on what it’s been like recording the podcast for 100 episodes. Come join the party!

 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get an exclusive bookish goodie every single Friday. With fun bonus episode series like: Monthly Overflow Books, Backlist Book Club, The New Books in Our Lives plus a private community for RTL Book Nerds only, you’re going to love being a part of our Patreon. Not only that, but you’re helping to support our show by saying I LOVE WHAT YOU DO. 

 

Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.

 

Support indie bookstores by shopping our picks on Bookshop.org!

 

Something Bookish:

[3:32] S: New book light

[4:36] M: Team Sarah vs. Team Mia reader quiz

Episode 50, Ask Us Anything

 

[6:30] Bookish Guessing Game

 

[18:00] Favorite Books of 2023 So Far:

[18:31] M: The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

[19:08] S: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

[19:54] M: A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

[20:48] S: The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

[21:31] M: The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

[22:06] S: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

[22:48] M: In the Land of Dead Horses by Bruce McCandless III

[23:34] S: Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

[24:21] M: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 

[25:04] S: I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin

 

[25:44] Our Thoughts on Recording a Podcast for 100 Episodes (plus bonus episodes!)

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @miamanagementco 

 

* 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.

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingthroughlife.substack.com/subscribe