In preparation for the upcoming movie adaptation of beloved musical, Wicked, we're reading the source material by Gregory Maguire!

Let's just be honest, we're not the biggest fans of this book, so if it's one of your beloveds please know we're approaching this with a critical eye. Fair warning! We love the musical, and we're apprehensively excited for the movie adaptation.

For more on the Wizard of Oz curse, read this article from Time. 

As always, let us know your thoughts on our TikTok or Instagram at @readirectpodcast. 

Escape your Election Day anxiety by exploring an imaginary world where book characters run for office!

As always, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @readirectpodcast. And if you're seeing this before the polls close, don't forget to VOTE!

We're turning to our listeners for another round of book recommendations! We asked, and boy did you answer. We did our best to fit the brief and recommend books to add to your TBR.

Plus a discussion of the cover reveals for the new Emily Henry and Hunger Games books! AHH! 

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @readirectpodcast.  

What happens when childhood friends reunite on a European food and wine tour? Join us as we explore this story of second chances and personal growth, while also celebrating McQuiston's knack for creating relatable, complex characters.

We really liked this interview with Casey McQuiston in Rolling Stone. Abigail also recommends pairing this book with the Somm documentary.

Books We Read Recently: 

• We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
• A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
• You're the Problem, It's You by Emma Alban

We'd also recommend chasing this episode with our book club episode covering Red, White, and Royal Blue, also by Casey McQuiston.

As always, we'd love for you to join us on our Instagram and TikTok at @readirectpodcast.

We're here to deep dive and debunk the allure of Nicholas Sparks. What were beloved books to us at one point in our lives, are now bizarre, hilarious, and at times, genuinely disturbing.

First, some...concerning allegations about Nicholas Sparks, with receipts. If it's not clear by the content of this episode, we strongly disavow any homophobia, racism, or other discriminatory practices. And, there are simply much better authors to give your time and money to! 

As for books we've read recently: 

• The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
• The Will of the Many by James Islington
• The Charm Offensive by Allison Chochrun

As always, we're on TikTok and Instagram @readirectpodcast! Follow us over there for more fun and unhinged bookish content. 

Get ready to expand your fall reading list with our carefully selected book recommendations. Grab your favorite fall beverage and settle in for an episode packed with books that have rich storytelling, emotional depth, and the perfect vibes for autumn. Happy reading!

Emily's Fall Picks: 

• Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody
• Blake Crouch's entire catalog (specifically Dark Matter, Recursion, or Upgrade!)
• A Witch's Guide to Fake-Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

Abigail's Fall Picks: 

• Conclave by Robert Harris
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
• Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
• The Will of the Many by James Islington

Plus Recent Read:
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram & TikTok @readirectpodcast! 

Travis, we gotta talk about it.

Eternal disclaimer that we do not support JK Rowling in any way, and encourage partaking in only fanfiction and avoiding her altogether. ANYWAYS!

When we tell you to, you can skip to 51:56 to miss all Marauders talk.

Abigail has FINALLY read All the Young Dudes by the legendary MsKingBean89, and WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT IT.

This is now a Wolfstar podcast, we will not be accepting comments, criticism, or negative reviews at this time. Good vibes only for our favorite gay wizards from the 1970s.

If you're only here for the links, here you go:

• All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89
• All the Young Dudes - Sirius's Perspective by Rollercoasterwords
• Taylor Swift Songs as Books (Readirect Podcast Episode)
• Crimson Rivers by msamoony
• Choices by MesserMoon
• Five Times Draco Malfoy Accidentally Apparated into Hermione Granger's Bed... And the One Time He Meant To by thefrancakes
• Language Lessons by MsAlexWP
• wading in waist-high water by colgatebluemintygel
• Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

Books We've Read Recently:

• Abigail: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
• Emily: A Familiar Stranger by A. R. Torre

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @readirectpodcast for much more fun and chaos! 

In today’s episode, we’re doing a deep dive into one of our FAVORITE playthings from childhood—American Girl Dolls and their accompanying books. Joined by very special guest and leading American Girl expert Emma Wright, we’re revisiting the stories that shaped our childhood. Today, we’re revisiting Kit and Addy’s stories, plus a brief mention of Dolls of Our Lives, another book. 

For more about the making of Addy, we highly recommend this Slate article. Plus, take the AG personality quiz! 

Finally, read-along with us as we reviewed a hilarious piece, American Girl Dolls Ranked In Order of Gayness.

Recent Reads: 

• Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
• All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89
• The Carrying by Ada Limón

 
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok @readirectpodcast! 

Did you know that Stephanie Meyer wrote a gender-swapped Twilight book for the 10-year anniversary of Twilight? Are you looking for your next summer read that will start to make you question what you ever saw in this godforsaken book series in the first place?? Look no further babes, it's Life and Death, Twilight Reimagined!

When we say there is fanfiction better than most books, this is the book, and Stephanie Meyer is the fanfiction author who should DROP HER PEN. This book is an atrocity, but one we had a lot of insane fun discussing.

Abigial recommends listening to season 2 of the Passages Podcast for more Twilight criticism and hilarity.

If you don't believe us that this book is insane, please listen to the end where we discuss how this book's ending DRASTICALLY differs from the source material. Please trust us, you don't want to miss it.

Plus, books we've read recently:

• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash
• Heartstopper Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman

We are back with our third (AND FINAL) installment in our Harry Potter Deep Dive. Did we intend for this to be a full and lengthy three parts? Clearly not. However, it was fun, unhinged, and chaotic in the best ways.

Listen to this deep dive where we're covering books five, six, and seven. Emily tries to be normal about Sirius and Remus, and chicken-wing Voldemort makes a long-awaited reappearance.

As always, we adamantly do not support JK Rowling and her views. To do our part to counteract the negativity she's bringing into the world on a near daily basis, we're fundraising for the Trevor Project. Donate at this link sometime in the next two weeks to be entered for a chance to choose what book we discuss on our podcast! 

Recent Reads:

• Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
• Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
• Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmoore
• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe