The Jolly Reader

🎙️ Author Interview: Katie Bernet | Beth Is Dead

Little Women reimagined in this twisty, emotional thriller about sisterhood, secrets, and murder....

In this special interview episode of The Jolly Reader, I sit down with debut author Katie Bernet to talk all things Beth Is Dead, the inaugural release from Sarah Barley Books, hitting shelves on January 6, 2026.

We dive into how Katie reimagined Little Women as a modern YA murder mystery, what drew her to the March sisters, and how she brought each character to life in a world of true crime obsession, family secrets, and online fame. Katie shares behind-the-scenes insight into her writing process, her journey from creative director to published author, and advice for aspiring writers (especially my listener crew dreaming of writing their own books someday).

🛍️ Preorder/Beth Is Dead Links & 📆 Katie’s Book Tour Dates:

📚 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beth-Is-Dead/Katie-Bernet/9781665988698

📱 Follow Katie Bernet:

🔗 https://linktr.ee/katie.bernet

Thanks again to Katie for joining me and to YOU, listener friends, for showing up, screaming about books, and demanding justice for Beth March. 💜

We’re kicking off Five Survive by Holly Jackson, and things are already going off the rails. In this episode, I break down chapters 1-16 (pages 1–127), where six friends on a spring break road trip find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere… with a flat tire, no signal, and a lurking sense that this was no accident.

📚 Grab the book here:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you!

🎧 If you need a good laugh or just want to hang out with me between episodes, find all my chaos here:

https://linktr.ee/thejollyreader

🌹 Produced by Neon Rose LLC

This podcast is a Neon Rose production. All rights reserved.

💜 Support The Show

If you’d like to support The Jolly Reader, you can donate!

Your support helps me buy new books and keep this chaotic book club going. Thanks, Crew!

Seven Dirty Secrets – Part Three: Chapters 21–31 (Pages 210–313)

Alright crew… it’s the final stretch, and the chaos is peaking.

In this episode, we’re tackling the last section of Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards and everything we thought we knew is getting turned upside down. Secrets are exploding into the open, trust is completely shattered, and the danger hits way too close. We even get what I can only describe as an accusing people pizza party, before it all circles back to where it began for a dramatic and dangerous finale.

💜 If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse:

Please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for 24/7 confidential support.

📚 I highly encourage you to read this book. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Dirty-Secrets-Natalie-Richards/dp/1728215781

Thanks to our sponsor TK Books, TKBooksLLC.com

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!

Part 2: Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards (Chapters 10-20 / Pages 98–209)

In this episode, we dive into the second half of Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards, and let’s just say: the paranoia is rising, the clues are coming in fast, and the trust levels are at an all-time low. We’re unraveling more of the scavenger hunt , trying to figure out who’s behind it all, and questioning everyone’s motives, yes even the ones we thought were safe.

💜 If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse:

Please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for 24/7 confidential support.

📚 I highly encourage you to read this book. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Dirty-Secrets-Natalie-Richards/dp/1728215781

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!

Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards, Chapters 1–9 (Pages 1–97). The mystery begins when Cleo receives an anonymous scavenger hunt on her eighteenth birthday, forcing her and her friends to revisit the tragic rafting accident that changed their lives a year earlier.

What starts as a strange birthday scavenger hunt quickly turns into something much more unsettling as each clue points back to the death of Cleo's boyfriend. As old friendships are tested and buried secrets begin to surface, it becomes clear that someone knows exactly what happened that day on the river and is determined to make everyone face the truth. The suspense builds fast, and this book wastes no time pulling you into the mystery.

📚 Grab the book here:

Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you!

✨ This Week's Sponsor

A huge thank you to Prolific for sponsoring this week's episode!

Looking to level up your writing? Prolific offers a brand-new writing prompt every day to help spark creativity and build your writing habit.

https://prolific.com

📖 Featured Book

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

🎧 If you need a good laugh or just want to hang out with me between episodes, find all my chaos here:

https://linktr.ee/thejollyreader

⚓ Join The Jolly Reader Patreon

Want ad-free episodes and early access? Join the crew here:

https://www.patreon.com/thejollyreader

💜 Support The Show

If you’d like to support The Jolly Reader, you can donate!

Your support helps me buy new books and keep this chaotic book club going. Thanks, Crew!

🌹 Produced by Neon Rose LLC

This podcast is a Neon Rose production. All rights reserved.

Part 3: This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore (Pages 204–312)

In this episode, we dive into the heart-pounding final chapters of This Is Why We Lie! Secrets come to a head as we finally discover who didn’t make it out of the second “incident” down at the harbor, and the truth about the mysterious blonde girl who keeps appearing in every photo.

After two murders, the tension rises even higher. Could there be yet another victim before it all ends?

Join me as I break down the shocking twists, big reveals, and what it all means for our characters.

I highly encourage you to read this book. You can find it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ftpdFqb

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Proliffic.com. Where you can find a new writing prompt everyday to help you become a better writer!!

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!!

The mystery deepens in Part 2 of This Is Why We Lie! In this episode, we unravel the secrets hidden beneath the surface of both Preston Prep and Rookwood Reform School. As the investigation into Colleen's death intensifies, lies start to crack and the truth is messier than anyone expected.

Join me as I break down pages 101–203, diving into shocking twists, shady alibis, and the characters who just can't seem to tell the truth. Is anyone really innocent?

Grab your copy, follow along, and get ready to suspect everyone. 🕵️‍♀️💥 You can find it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ftpdFqb

This episode's sponsor is Mindful Meowers!

Get your discount at mindfulmeowers.com/jolly 

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!!

Read less

In this episode, we dive into the first 100 pages of This is Why We Lie by Gabriella LePore! Meet Jenna, the ambitious student journalist from Preston Prep, and Adam, a student at the nearby correctional school, Rookwood. As a mysterious death rocks their coastal town, secrets begin to bubble beneath the surface.

I highly encourage you to read this book. You can find it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ftpdFqb

This episode's sponsor is Mindful Meowers!

Get your discount at mindfulmeowers.com/jolly 

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!!

It's the third and final video covering the book You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M McManus. Mateo, Ivy, and Cal finally discover who is behind the death of their classmate Boney. The mystery is solved but will there be a happy ending for this trio....not quite.

I highly encourage you to read You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus yourself. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Be-Death-Karen-McManus/dp/0593175867

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!!

So much is happening in You'll Be the Death of Me Part 2!

Mateo and Ivy are on a relationship rollercoaster. They find a mysterious note to Ms. Jameson signed by an unknown person going by D.

The biggest question for this section is how everyone is connected???

I highly encourage you to read You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus yourself. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Be-Death-Karen-McManus/dp/0593175867

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which goes towards buying new books and allows me to keep making new episodes. Thanks, Crew!!!