Show notes:

We set some reading goals back in January and we thought we’d share our progress on them.  Spoiler alert: We don’t know who we thought we were six months ago, but we’re mostly failing at our goals. It’s fun to look back, though, at how cute we were in January with our excited reading energy.  

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:

[5:05] S: Authors are rock stars! 

[6:14] M: We’ve added episode transcripts to the end of our show notes on our website. 

Books Mentioned: 

[12:24] M: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

[16:47] S: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

S: Babel by R.F. Kuang

S: The One by John Marrs

S: Scenes From My Life by Michael K. Williams

M: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis

M: Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

M: Wintering by Katherine May

Also Mentioned:

• Click here to read the show notes from our podcast episodes. 

• Episode 72, Improving Our Reading Lives in 2023

• Our 2-on-1 writing coaching program, The Kindred Writers

• Sarah’s Pangobooks shop

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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:

Yep, we’re gonna say it: May has really flown by! We’re ready for some summer beach reads, but first, we’re sharing the books we read in May. We had some incredible 5 star books to share, so get your TBRs ready and read along with us. We love you, book nerds!

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:

[3:36] S: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

[4:39] M: We had the BEST time at our recent 5 star book chat with our patrons! 

The Books We Read in May:

[8:39] M: Write for Life by Julia Cameron

     The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

     On Writing by Stephen King

[11:14] S: Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

[13:29] M: Wreckage by Emily Bleeker

[16:12] S: The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein (available July 18th)

[18:43] M: Out of Esau by Michelle Webster Hein

[21:50] S: I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin

[24:01] M: The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe

[26:49] S: Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

[28:57] M: Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee

[31:49] S: Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

[34:10] The Extra Books We Read in May

Also Mentioned:

• We have a FREE trial for our patreon going on right now. You can join free for 1 week and see all the bookish goodies we have to offer. Join today.

• Interested in writer’s coaching with Sarah and Mia? Click here for more info and to book a free discovery call.  

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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:

May we take a moment to express our polite rage about the things we hate in books? Yes? Good. Because we’d love to say, “Just stop it!” to some of these plot-driven items that authors keep using in their books. Are we just a bit picky? Maybe. Will we stop hating these things? Never. Enjoy! 

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:

[4:23] M: Not Alone by Sarah K. Jackson

[5:44] S: Met a fan of RTL in real life! Hi, Lindsey!

12 Things We Hate in Books

Also Mentioned:

• Episode 38, Bookish Pet Peeves

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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 all have our favorite authors and obsess over their books. But what if you could sit down with them and ask all your questions? What would you ask? Well, you know we have a list of questions ready in case our fave authors happen to be in our corner of the podcast interwebz. No face-to-face interviews, though… we wouldn’t know what to do with our hands! 

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:

[5:26] S: Writer’s Routine podcast

[6:31] M: Memoir Lane podcast, episode 4 with author Elizabeth Lyons

Authors + Books Mentioned:

[8:57] M: Stephen King: Fairy Tale and The Stand

[9:58] S: TJ Klune: The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, and In the Lives of Puppets

[11:03] M: Matt Haig: The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Comfort Book, and Reasons to Stay Alive

[11:57] S: Lily Brooks-Dalton: Good Morning, Midnight and The Light Pirate

Karen Thompson Walker: The Age of Miracles

Bruce Holsinger: The Displacements

Nikki Erlick: The Measure

John Marrs: The One

[13:07] M: S.A. Cosby: Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland

[14:13] S: Lyssa Kay Adams: The Bromance Book Club series

[15:05] M: Kristin Hannah: The Nightingale and The Great Alone

[15:59] S: TJ Newman: Falling and Drowning

[17:01] M: Laurell K. Hamilton: The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series

[18:36] S: Colleen Hoover: It Ends With Us and Reminders of Him

Also Mentioned:

• Thanks to Chelsee @chelsee.n.stuff for the inspiration for this episode!

• Bonus Episode: Author Chat with Robinne Lee on “The Idea of You”

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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 hear us say it at the beginning of every episode: we have very different reading styles! Yes, there’s some overlap here and there with genres or authors that we love, but for the most part, we gravitate in opposite directions when it comes to reading. As a result, the terms “Team Sarah” and “Team Mia” have become a shorthand we use to refer to our specific reading styles and habits. So, if you’ve ever wondered which team you’re on or what it all means, this is the episode for you. 

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:

[5:21] M: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

[6:55] S: Got a brand new Kindle Paperwhite!

Team Sarah Reading Recs:

• The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

• Open Book by Jessica Simpson

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

• Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Vicious Lost Boys series by Nikki St Crowe

• How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann

• I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

• In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

• The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

• Love in the City series by Jen Morris

• The Thousandth Floor series by Katharine McGee

• The Selection series by Kiera Cass

Team Mia Reading Recs:

• Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn

• The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey + Michaela Angela Davis

• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

• I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey

• Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

• Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost

• How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

• The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo

• Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton

• The Borrowed World series by Franklin Horton

Also Mentioned:

Click here to take the Team Sarah vs Team Mia reading quiz!

Episode 86, Long Books We Love

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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:

April had some really great reads for us and some not so great reads. But that’s to be expected in book nerd life, right? Come listen to 10 books we read in April and if you want to hear about the other books from the month, be sure to join our Patreon for the whole scoop. 

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:

[2:32] M: Mia’s rant about book banning in Florida [article about it from the NY Times]

S: It’s Okay to be a Unicorn by Jason Tharp

Our April Reads:

[8:55] Both: The One by John Marrs

[12:19] S: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

[15:39] M: Mothered by Zoje Stage

     Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

[18:03] S: Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

[20:36] M: Death by a Million Papercuts by Cillian Dunne

[22:48] S: Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman (out June 6, 2023)

[24:29] M: Mr. Nightmare by Joe Scipione

[26:35] S: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

[29:10] M: Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

[30:40] Extra Books We Read in April

Also Mentioned:

The Circle, Sarah’s new coaching community, is open!

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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 love a good nonfiction book around here - memoir, self-help, history, you name it, we’ve read it. Today, we’re sharing 10 nonfiction recs with you, with some bonus recs from our podcast patrons. There is absolutely a nonfiction book out there for everyone. Happy listening!

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:

[3:36] M: 1) Writer’s Coaching 2) Our RTL pen

[5:09] S: Love Buzz by Neely Tubati Alexander - out May 2

Our Nonfiction Recs:

[11:55] S: Into Thin Air: A Personal Account Of The Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

[13:26] M: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

[15:17] S: The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell

[16:39] M: Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

[18:20] S: The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper

[19:45] M: A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

[21:05] S: You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

[22:33] M: The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

[23:32] S: Inside the NBA Bubble by Jared Dudley

[25:44] M: The Missing Teacher by Lani Cox

[27:23] Nonfiction Recs from Our Patrons:

• A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K Barnett

• Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton

• Stiff by Mary Roach

• How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

• Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

• Know My Name by Chanel Miller

• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

• To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins

• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

• The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler

• “You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon

• Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language by Amanda Montell

• Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston

Also Mentioned:

Gallup poll on American reading habits

Episode 13: Our Nonfiction Must Haves

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleycoaching 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane + @thekindredwriters 

* 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 love long books and we cannot lie! OK, maybe Mia loves them more than Sarah. But today we’re talking about the pros and cons of long books, and also sharing some that we love. What are your thoughts on long books? 

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:

[3:21] M: Sparrow by James Hynes

[4:54] S: Reminder to get bookish gift cards for the book nerds in your life.

Our Favorite Long Books:

[11:45] S: Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

[12:45] M: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

[14:01] S: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

[14:43] M: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

[15:25] S: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

[16:26] M: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

[17:35] S: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

[18:26] M: A Promised Land by Barack Obama

[19:40] S: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

[20:52] M: Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris

[22:05] S: Honorable mentions (448 pages):

• The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger

• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

• The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

[22:43] M: Fairy Tale by Stephen King

[24:05] M: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @thekindredvoice 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @miasutton5

* 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 don’t really know why we do these things to ourselves, but in this episode, we’re answering a bunch of impossible “would you rather” questions about books and authors. Come listen to us be annoyed by the questions but also be equally amused by them. Cue the giggling! 

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:

[3:58] M: Cold People by Tom Rob Smith

Episode 79: What We Read in February

Sarah’s Pangobooks shop

[6:29] S: Doodles from the Boogie Down by Stephanie Rodriguez, with a special review from Henry

Also Mentioned:

Most of the “would you rather” questions are from this blog post, 65 Conversation Questions About Books and Reading

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @thekindredvoice 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @miasutton5

* 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 know when you’re reading and you are in the zone and everything just feels right with the world? Yeah, we love that feeling. Today, we’re talking about the apps and products that help us get into that reading sweet spot. We’ve gathered this list through the hard, hard work (ha!) of being book nerds, just for you. 

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:

[3:53] S: Have people pick a number from your TBR list and then read those picks

[5:10] M: RTL pod merch shop

Our Favorite Bookish Apps:

[9:16] S:

• Pango

• Fable

• Storygraph

• Scribd

• Libby

[13:47] M:

• Goodreads

• Kindle

• Amazon

• Glose

Our Favorite Bookish Products: 

[17:45] M:

• Kindle

• Kindle cover with built in stand

• Bookmarks

• Ear pods for audiobooks

[18:51] S: 

• Kindle Paperwhite

• Kindle Oasis

• Book light

• Book stand

• Book tabs

• Bookshelf

• Apple Airpods

Miscellaneous Reading Time Accoutrements:

[23:22] M: 

• Fuzzy EVERYTHING (socks, robes, blankets, pajamas)

• Snacks

• Oil diffuser + essential oils

S: 

• Cozy blanket

• Candle warmer

• Book subscriptions (Book of the Month)

• Calm app

Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram: @thekindredvoice 

Follow Mia on Instagram: @miasutton5

* 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.