We're back for a chill book talk episode where Emily is definitely not going insane about Heated Rivalry for the 40th time this year.  

We catch up after travel, compare notes on The Thursday Murder Club film, and share a stack of recent reads. 

Here for the links? 

• Request Heated Rivalry on your favorite streaming services. DO IT FOR EMILY IF NOTHING ELSE!!!! 
  • NETFLIX – https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest
  • HBO – https://help.hbomax.com/us-en/Home/Index
  • HULU – https://help.hulu.com/feedback
  • Amazon Prime – https://digprjsurvey.amazon.com/api/feedbacks/AIV/website
• Heated Rivalry official trailer
• Heated Rivalry and The Long Game books
• Thursday Murder Club book
• wading in waist-high water by colgatemintybluegel 

Recent Reads

• Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
• The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
• The Beartown Trilogy by Fredrick Backman
• Come & Get It by Kiley Reid
• Tough Guy by Rachel Reid
• The Compound by Aisling Rowle
• The Fall by Tal Bauer

Join us for a discussion on Jen Hatmaker's newest book, Awake. Unlike our other book club episodes, this is less deep dive and more vibes based discussion. That's because we enthusiastically recommend reading this book for yourself and then coming back to join us for our discussion. 

You're more than welcome to use this as a TLDR, and trust we are spilling the tea, but it is also impossible for us to capture the true generosity, beauty, and impact of this book in one simple episode. So listen & read & enjoy! 

PLUS Twilight non-news, a buzzy Wuthering Heights trailer, and adaptations we’re excited to watch (*ahem* HEATED RIVALRY!!!!) 

Important Links

• Stephenie Meyer Q&A Livestream recording
• Rachel Reid Blog Post - An Attempt to be Earnest

Recent Reads

• Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read
• Why We Love (and Hate) Twilight by Sarah Elizabeth Gallagher
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun
• To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

Leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow @readirectpodcast on Instagram and Bluesky. Share our show with a friend because that is by far the best way to grow our community of book-loving nerds! 

Today, we're doing a deep dive into Christine Brown Woolley's memoir, Sister Wife. As longtime fans of TLC's Sister Wives, we were SEATED for this tell-all from Christine. Read along or listen in for our TLDR version of this explosive book. 

Plus recent read from Emily, Beartown by Fredrick Backman

Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky at @readirectpodcast, and if you're loving the show, please leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Sharing our show with a friend is by far the best way to grow our community of book-loving nerds!

In honor of Back to School season, we're drafting our teams of our favorite fictional schools from literature, discussing what makes these educational settings compelling, terrifying, and gossip-worthy.
 

Team Emily 

• One-room schoolhouse from The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah 
• Shiz from Wicked by Gregory Maguire 
• Hawkings Independent School from The Cadence of Part-Time Poets by mostwolo 
• Elligham Academy from the Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson 

Team Abigail 

• Forks High School from the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer 
• Catenan Academy from The Will of the Many by James Islington 
• Basgiath War College from Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 
• Crunchem Hall Elementary from Matilda by Roald Dahl 

Recent Reads 

• Love is a War Song by Danica Nava 
• Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield 
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe 
• Wolfsong by TJ Klune 

We'd love to hear which fictional school you'd want to attend! Comment on our Instagram or Bluesky @readirectpodcast, or leave us a note on Spotify! 

Today, we're previewing our most anticipated fall 2025 book releases! Plus a bunch of recent reads. 

Fall Releases: 

• Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun
• Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
• Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley
• Alchemised by SenLinYu
• Awake by Jen Hatmaker
• The Librarians by Sherry Thomas
• Thursday Murder Club #5 (The Impossible Fortune) by Richard Osman
• Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
• Mate by Ali Hazelwood
• The Strength of the Few by James Islington

Recent Reads: 

Emily: 

• The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
• Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
• The Prospects by KT Hoffman
• Wolfsong by TJ Klune
• Archive of Unknown Universes by Ruben Reyes Jr
• Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa
• Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

Abigail: 

• An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera
• Come & Get It by Kiley Reid
• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Follow us on Instagram & Bluesky at @readirectpodcast! 

Today we're revisiting Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse series for a Reading Rewind episode! 

PLUS: Is Stephanie Meyer going to release a Jacob and Renesmee sequel for the 20th anniversary of the Twilight saga? 

And personal updates from Emily & Abigail to round out the episode. Stay tuned to the end for a plethora of book recommendations. 

Recent Reads: 

• Real Life by Brandon Taylor
• Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Sky Daddy by Kate Folk
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

We'd love for you to support the podcast by leaving a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and sharing our show with your friends. 

PLUS follow us on Instagram and Bluesky at @readirectpodcast. 

See you next time, nerds! 

We take stock of our reading lives at the halfway point of the year, discussing our progress toward reading 100 books, favorite and least favorite reads, and what's on our TBR lists.

Recent Reads: 

• And They Were Roommates by Page Powers
• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
• Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson

If you like our candid conversations and unedited thoughts, go on to Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave us a five-star review, and let us know that you love the show. You can also follow us on Instagram and BlueSky at @readirectpodcast.

Today we're discussing the world of celebrity pap walks featuring the celebs and their books. From Sarah Jessica Parker (who always seems to be caught with a book) to Timmy C. on the subway reading Dune to a SPIRITED debate over the Bradley Cooper-Suki Waterhouse Lolita fiasco... We've got it all. 

We're also discussing the recent trailer for Project Hail Mary (hello!!!!!) and the teaser/release date for People We Meet on Vacation. 

PLUS Recent Reads: 

• Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Share our show with a friend to help us grow our community of book-loving nerds and follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @ReadirectPodcast.

Join us for our highly competitive Pride Month book draft! We each take turns selecting our team of favorite books about queer characters and/or authors who are LGBTQIA+. 

Team Abigail: 

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Team Emily: 

• The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
• A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
• The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
• Time to Shine by Rachel Reid

For even more of us gushing about The Pairing, check out our book club episode!

It's time for another jam-packed Book Talk episode! 

We catch up on our recent reads, from Abigail's recent Emily Henry reread journey to five-star favorites and recent DNFs, plus discuss the controversial marketing of fanfiction in traditional publishing.

Abigail's complete (revised) Emily Henry reread rankings: 

1. Funny Story
2. Happy Place 
3. Beach Read
4. People We Meet on Vacation 
5. Book Lovers 
6. Great Big Beautiful Life 

Plus, we're covering: 

• Recent DNFs including First Time Caller by BK Morrison and Silver Elite (please bully me, Emily, if you think I should give these a second chance)
• Five-star reads worth your time: East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Memorial by Bryan Washington 
• Abigail's recents: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams and How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
• Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood review & lengthy discussion
• Discussion of the ethics of marketing fanfiction-inspired books using original IP (we're PASSIONATE) 
• Upcoming anticipated releases 

Plus, share our podcast on your Instagram story or tag us on Bluesky for a chance to win a $50 Thriftbooks gift card! Be sure to follow and tag us @readirectpodcast for a chance to win!