Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to another episode of the 5 O'Clock Book Club!

This week we read the highly acclaimed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Project Hail Mary came out in 2021, but with a movie adaptation scheduled for 2026 has been as relevant as ever this year. We had to get in on the hype and we. were. not. disappointed. Project Hail Mary has entered our top ranking of books. Andy Weir has created a book where every page is a new discovery. Prepare to explore the true final frontier alongside theoretical scientist-turned-astronaut Rylan Grace.

(Sorry for the audio issues in the first few minutes, it goes away.)

Next episode's book: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome back to another (now biweekly) episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. We are SO close to being done with this series. One more to go! Anyway, in this episode, we read books 7 and 8, both at a page count of over 1000. We are dealing with some Zodiac exhaustion but we continue to stand by our opinion that the books are getting better and better. Get ready for a main character death, occult-ish blood magic, and minotaur terms of endearment.

We would love to say that the next episode of this podcast will see the Zodiac series completed, but we are in need of a detox (we'll get to it eventually).

Next episode: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Happy Wednesday!

We're baaaaaackkkk!!! Your girls simply had to take a little summer break from the pod, but we are back and better than ever. This week we read the 6th installment of the Zodiac Academy series, Fated Throne by Caroline Peckam and Suzanne Valenti. We are riveted, we are enamored, and we are also very ready for it to be over. These books keep getting better and better, but they also keep getting longer and longer. It's been a continuously wild ride that we are loving.

Enjoy this week's episode! (Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on June 19th before our hiatus began.)

Next week's books: Heartless Sky and Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy #7 & #8) by Caroline Peckam and Suzanne Valenti

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Hello and happy Wednes--- Friday!

(Sorry for the late upload this week!)

This week we read book 5 in the Zodiac Academy series, Cursed Fates. The series is long, the books are longer, but we are plowing through them. Things are starting to get REAL in Solaria and as always, we are on the edge of our seats. Enjoy this week's discussion!

Next week's book: Fated Throne (Zodiac Academy #6) by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week, we're back with the second book in The Ravenhood series, Exodus, by Kate Stewart. The first one tore us apart, this one continued to tear us apart until it... patched us up again? Maybe? All we know is we can't wait to read book three.

If you thought Sean and Dom were all that, just wait. Enter the Frenchman. We were mad at first too, but we've come around to him.

Special guest, Sarah, from Kensington Publishing, joins us once again.

Next week's book: Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy Book #5) by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we read Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. As two former *cough* current *cough* The Hunger Games die hards, we couldn't wait to hear about Haymitch's Games. This prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy did not disappoint. Haymitch's origin story is as empowering as it is tragic and now we love him even more (which we didn't know was possible).

Pour one up (or pour one out) for the many dead characters in this story and, as always, enjoy the discussion.

Next week's book: Exodus (The Ravenhood #2) by Kate Stewart

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Hello, and happy Wednesday!

Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week, we read American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. We had no idea about the controversy surrounding this book before we decided to read it. However, before our discussion, we did some research and were shocked by what we learned. We decided that highlighting the issues surrounding this book and its author was more meaningful than skipping the discussion altogether. Ultimately, we walk away from our time with this book more informed and committed to reading books about migration from authors whose voices have been less amplified.

Here is a list of books we've added to our TBR to consider reading instead of American Dirt :

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Where We Come From by Oscar Casares

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera

Next week's book: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Hello, happy Wednesday, and welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club!

This week we read a book originally written in French, The Anomaly, by Herve Letellier. Have you ever wondered what would happen if there were another YOU? This is the big question that Letellier asks readers in this book. The Anomaly gets into mathematics, probability, philosophy, religion, and more as it theorizes what humans would turn to in order to cope with such an outlandish situation.

Listen to us break our own brains as we talk it all out, with a beverage in hand, of course!

Next week's book: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Get ready for a super special episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week, we have our very first podcast guest, Sarah, cohosting with us! Sarah works for Kensington Publishing Corp. and got us hooked up with some sweet books, including Flock by Kate Stewart, which we read this week!

Flock is a quintessential spicy contemporary romance with a little mystery mixed in. It's giving Appalachia, it's giving bad boys with hearts of gold, it's giving sexual awakening, and we were GRIPPED. So gripped that we have rearranged our entire summer reading schedule to accomodate the next two books in this trilogy because we are simply d y i n g for more.

Pour up a bev, get comfy, and enjoy this week's episode.

Next week's book: The Anomaly by Herve Letellier

Love ya,

-Em and SK (and Sarah) <3

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to a little minisode discussion from The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. This book explores grief, loss, and how to carry on living afterward. Didion is an iconic American writer and this was both of our first Didion reads.

Pour up a drink and get ready for some hot takes and a very honest discussion.

Next week's episode: Flock by Kate Steward (w/ special guest, Sarah B.)

Love ya,

-Em and SK <3