The Book Jar Podcast

The Book Jar is back, and we're turning over a new page. In this episode, we're catching you up on what's new around The Book Jar, as well as introducing you to two new(ish) hosts that you'll be seeing, or rather hearing, a lot more from! Enjoy!

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

00:00 Cold Open
0:29
1:05 What's New
2:59 Your New Hosts
24:28 Outro & Socials
26:00 Bloopers 

Let the fighting begin! In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss, argue, and fight over who would win between fictional characters in fictional fights. From Dracula and Rhysand to Emma and Lizzie Bennet, this episode is throwing everything down and everyone with them! So, join us while we fight it out. 

As usual, the three readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also announce their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
• A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell
• The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas
• Emma by Jane Austen
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• Lirael by Garth Nix
• Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

Please note that we do mention some SPOILERS for the ACOTAR series.

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

Marissa discussed a Blog post for the Wheel of Time. Find it here. 

00:00 Cold Open
0:34 Intro
1:11 A Memory of Light
7:48 The Hemlock Queen
8:33 Ocean's Echo
10:40 The Hurricane Wars
17:51 Today's Topic: FIGHT
1:03:31 Outro & Socials

It's time to share our deepest reader secrets. In this episode, Marissa and Megan are joined by Alix Calfa from the Queens of Fantasy podcast, to discuss all those things we usually keep to ourselves. We're talking about our bookish confessions, from dust jacket behaviour to reading challenges and even cheating on reading goals. Get ready to see us in a different light!

As usual, the three readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also draw their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
• Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
• Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
• Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
• Bloody Sweet by NaRae Lee
• My Roommate Is A Vampire by Jenna Levine
• Curse of Breath and Blood by K.W. Foster
• A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle
• Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

Besides that one overly comfortable chair in the corner, every reader's favourite place to be is a bookstore. In this episode, Marissa and Megan share the best bookstores they've explored. From local gems to international stars, these bookstores have one thing in common: they are well-loved and well-read.

As usual, the two readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also draw their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs
• Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald
• Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
• Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
• Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
• The Unfinished by Cheryl Isaacs
• Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Bookstores We Discuss In This Podcast:

• Second Chance Reads (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada)
• Slow Burn Books (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
• Wee Book Inn (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
• The Next Page (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
• Eliot's Bookshop (Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- CLOSED)
• The Scribe (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
• Munro's Books (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
• The Paper Hound Bookshop (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
• Powell's City of Books (Portland, Oregon, USA)
• Persephone Books (Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom)
• Armchair Books (Edinburgh, Scotland)
• The Gently Mad (Edinburgh, Scotland)
• Jimbōchō -- Tokyo's Used-Book District (Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan)

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

00:00 Cold Open
0:48 Intro
2:42 Recently Read
5:39 Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe
6:15 Love on the Brain
8:14 Belladonna
12:44 Kingdom of the Wicked
15:25 Fayne
17:12 Let's Talk Book Shops!
18:04 Second Chance Reads (GP, CAN)
20:22 Slow Burn Books (Calgary, CAN)
22:24 Wee Book Inn (Edmonton, CAN)
24:17 The Next Page (Calgary, CAN)
26:17 Eliot's Books (Toronto, CAN)
28:58 The Scribe (Toronto, CAN)
30:55 Munro's Books (Victoria, CAN)
35:42 The Paper Hound Bookshop (Vancouver, CAN)
39:16 Powell's City of Books (Portland, USA)
44:01 Persephone Books (Bath, UK)
49:47 Armchair books (Edinburgh, SCO)
52:11 Jimbōchō (Tokyo, JAP)
53:55 The Gently Mad (Edinburgh, SCO)
57:31 Next Topic!
58:58 Current Reads
1:02:24 Outro & Socials
1:03:27 After the Pod

Ever heard of audiobooks? How much do you really know about them? In this episode, Megan explores everything audiobook. From the history of audiobooks to its formats, uses, and styles, join along as your two favourite readers explore the world of audiobooks!

As usual, the two readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also draw their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• White Horse, Black Nights by Evie Marceau
• Silver Wings, Golden Games by Evie Marceau
• Dracula by Bram Stoker (Narrated by Mike Bennett)
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Narrated by 
• Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs
• Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald
• The Burning God by R.F. Kuang (Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller)
• If It Bleeds by Stephen King (Narrated by Will Patton, Danny Burstein, and Steven Weber)
• What Happened to You?  Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

Episode References:

• Romance Audiobook Narration: Dual vs. Duet
• Wikipedia Audiobook Page
• Best Platform to Listen to Audiobooks (Reddit)

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

00:00 Cold Open
0:32 Intro
3:16 Recently Read
4:06 Silver Wings, Golden Games
13:15 Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe
14:34 Today's Topic!
1:02:00 Drawing the Next Topic
1:02:48 Current & Future Reads
1:03:59 Outro & Socials
1:05:16 After the Pod

It's time to go back to school! And, what better way to celebrate school than with a test? In this episode, Marissa and Megan review literary terms. Or rather, Marissa quizzes Megan on this terminology while putting her friendship at risk. From metaphor and simile to allusions and character foils, Marissa puts on her teaching hat to share the top literary terms every reader should know -- or learn!

As usual, the two readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also draw their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan
• Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
• White Horse, Black Nights by Evie Marceau
• Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Without Words by Ellen O'Connell
• Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs
• Silver Wings, Golden Games by Evie Marceau
• Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

00:00 Cold Open
0:32 Intro
1:28 Recent Reads
1:37 White Horse, Black Nights
2:54 Siren Queen
3:18 Sky in the Deep
4:09 The Gathering Storm
5:45 ACOTAR
7:03 Without Words
12:48 Literary 101
13:54 Easy Vocab
25:18 Harder Vocab
29:12 Metaphors & Similes
37:28 Even Harder Vocab
40:39 Isn't It Ironic?
57:50 Megan's Score
59:27 Drawing the Next Topic
1:00:17 Current & Upcoming Reads
1:02:17 Outro & Socials
1:04:31 After the Pod

Books are made to be read, not banned. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss banned books. From the most commonly banned novels to their favourite illicit reads, these two readers dive into why the books are banned and why they disagree. As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar.

Articles referenced in the episode:

• Most Banned Books of All Time (Containing list of top 25 banned books)
• Plot twist: Activists skirt book bans with guerrilla giveaways and pop-up libraries
• Top 10 Most Famous Banned Books Of All Time
• 15 of the Most Famous Banned Books in US History
• Book Censorship in Canada
• The 50 Most Banned Books in America Right Now
• Top 100 List of Banned Books 2024

Expect us to discuss:

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (series) by Alvin Schwartz
• Alice (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie Harris
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker 
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 
• The Giver by Lois Lowry 
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
• And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson 
• Beloved by Toni Morrison 
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 
• Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey 
• Internet Girls (series) by Lauren Myracle 
• Forever… by Judy Blume
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 
• Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers 
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson 
• My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier 
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Beatrice Sparks)
• In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak 
• Harry Potter (series)
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Shining by Stephen King
• The Sarah J. Maas Multiverse (Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses)
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
• Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
• Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You...

This one is dedicated to all the book stacks on all those book shelves just waiting to be read. In this episode, Marissa and Megan uncover their most shameful -- or most interesting -- books on their TBRs that they've been avoiding. From books they didn't even know they owned to books they've been waiting for the perfect moment to pick up, join these two readers as they dive into their TBRs.  

As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar and discussing their upcoming reads.

Expect us to discuss:

• Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
• Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
• Robin Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy
• The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrows
• Clariel by Garth Nix
• The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
• The Witchland Series by Susan Dennard (Truthwitch)
• The Dark Star Trilogy by Marlon James
• The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
• Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
• Glass Thorns Series by Melanie Rawn (Touchstone, Elsewhens & Thornlost)
• Zadie Smith
• Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
• Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta
• Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
• The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
• Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
• The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
• The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan
• Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Timestamps:
00:00 Cold Open
0:47 Intro
5:10 Most-Recent Reads
5:36 Knife of Dreams
7:09 Secretly Yours
10:07 The City of Stardust
11:28 Today's Topic: TBR Books
13:03 Doctor Sleep
24:11 The Invisible Library Series
26:40 The Witchland Series
27:58 Before the Coffee Cold Series
28:24 Glass Thorns Series
33:26 Shimmer & Burn
34:36 Witches of Ash and Ruin
38:10 The Dark Star Trilogy
39:21 Crescent City
40:26 The Invisible Life of Addie Larue
41:25 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
43:22 Bookshops and Bonedust
44:04 Never Fade
44:37 Hell Bent
45:49 The Once and Future Witches
47:31 The Darkness Outside Us
48:46 Zadie Smith
50:06 Next Topic!
51:27 Upcoming Reads
52:29 Outro & Socials
53:26 After the Pod

All the things that make us cringe, gag, and recoil away from a book within an instant. From abhorrent stickers on book covers to the worst plot devices we've ever read, this week Megan and Marissa discuss their biggest book pet peeves. Marissa also shares an embarrassing reader faux pas she committed and Megan pretends she's very much over it.

As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar and discussing their upcoming reads.

Content Warning: We mention the following on this podcast:

• Rape
• Misogyny
• Sexism
• Violence Against Women
• Sexual Assault
• Sexual Actions

Expect us to discuss:

• Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
• New Spring by Robert Jordan
• The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
• The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
• A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
• A Fragile Enchantment Allison Saft
• Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
• Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
• Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Timestamps:
00:00 Cold Open
0:44 Intro
1:18 The Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
2:30 The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
5:58 The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
7:26 A Feather So Black 
10:42 A Fragile Enchantment
12:05 Winter's Orbit
18:00 Yellowface
22:28 Start of Topic: Biggest Bookish Pet Peeves
22:53 Misogyny As Worldbuilding
26:14 Dialogue Hidden In Description
27:03 Groundhog Day Syndrome
29:47 Prologues That Aren't Prologues
32:24 Poor Choreography & Action Scenes
32:46 CW: Mild Sexual Content
33:32 End of CW: Mild Sexual Content
36:36 Casual Realism & Pop Culture
41:07 Physical Pet Peeves
47:27 Formatting
49:53 The Next Topic!
50:56 Upcoming Reads
54:26 Outro & Socials
55:42 After the Pod

Anybody up for a challenge? Reading challenges are popular across TikTok, StoryGraph, and pretty much anywhere you find readers. Megan and Marissa give their thoughts on reading challenges – which ones they love and which ones they can't quite get into. Megan compares reading challenges to playing the Sims and Marissa changes her opinion quickly as the podcast progresses. As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar and discussing their upcoming reads.

Expect us to discuss:

• Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
• Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
• That Time I Got Drunk & Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming
• The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn
• Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
• Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater
• One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• And Many Others

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Timestamps
00:00 Cold Open
1:15 Most Recent Reads
1:42 The Bridgerton Series
5:06 One Dark Window
5:55 Half A Soul
7:42 Funny Feelings
8:55 That Time I Got Drunk & Saved A Demon
15:36 Topic: Reading Challenges
16:24 Just Like The Sims
22:00 StoryGraph Challenges
27:35 Setting New Reading Goal
35:12 Upcoming Reads
35:26 Yellowface
36:37 Funny Story
38:57 Crossroad of Twilight
41:11 Drawing Our Next Topic!
42:35 Socials & Outro
44:22 After the Pod