Welp - we missed a week. Daryn was moving and literally forgot to post this episode…whoops! But we’re back now with another author-specific episode. Tune in and listen to Daryn’s deep obsession with Garth Nix, the Australian author who captured her attention 20 years ago and never let go! There are some spoilers for story details but there aren’t spoilers for the overall plot. Check out the titles below:

• Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix (Light Spoilers)
• The Ragwitch by Garth Nix (Light Spoilers)
• Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix (Light Spoilers)
• The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling (No spoilers, drive-by-mention)
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman (No spoilers, drive-by-mention)
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis & Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (no spoilers but the books are 75 years old so...)

This episode has it all - poetry, feminist smut, several Bridgerton rants, and more! Instead of pitching one book each, Daryn and Paige recommend several books with no spoilers in the hopes of convincing each other to read something new. They also talk about My Sister the Serial Killer because Daryn finally finished it! Tune in for the books, stay for the strong opinions!

Books Mentioned:

• My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Spoilers)
  • If you stop listening at 2:55 to avoid spoilers, tune back in at 8:55
• Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (No Spoilers)
• Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio (No Spoilers)
• The Wicker King by K. Ancrum (No Spoilers)
• Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (No Spoilers)
• Black Movie by Danez Smith (No Spoilers)
• Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill (No Spoilers)
• Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (Vague Spoilers)
• Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings (No Spoilers)

We hope you’re ready for some light exercise, because this week we’ll be running the gambit of book genres! Join Paige and Daryn as they share some of the titles & storylines that unexpectedly became instant favorites in their library (or in Daryn’s case, even influenced a decade and beyond of fashion choices)! In the spirit of surprises, they’ll share some opinions, experiences, and stories that will have you saying “huh, I never thought of that before”. Some light spoilers ahead but nothing too egregious!

Books Mentioned:

• Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• The Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix
• Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
• Black Movie by Danez Smith
• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
• The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert
• Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
• Alanna by Tamora Pierce
• Peeps by Scott Westerfield
• Uglies by Scott Westerfield
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
• The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
• Love Interest by Clare Gilmore
• Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore

This week, Paige and Daryn talk about adaptations - were they good, were they bad, does it have an actor one of them loves a lot, is there a standout scene, will this list ever end, who knows. Lots of titles thrown around in this episode and the only real spoiler is for Fight Club, both the movie and the book. Otherwise, there are vague spoilers about situations or scenes so proceed with general/light caution!

Books/Movies/TV Shows Mentioned:

• Simon Vs. the Homosapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli / Love, Simon (2018) / Love, Victor (2020)
• Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk / Fight Club (1999)
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien / Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows / My Lady Jane (2024)
• Ross Poldark by Winston Graham / Poldark (2015-2019)
• This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper / This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro / Never Let Me Go (2010)
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini / Eragon (2006)
• The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman / The Golden Compass (2007)
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories by Truman Capote / Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
• How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell / How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman / Practical Magic (1998)
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett / Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
• Big Fish by Daniel Wallace / Big Fish (2003)
• Princess Bride by William Goldman / Princess Bride (1987)

We're diving into Sarah J. Maas this week - Paige is for her, Daryn is decidedly not. Paige will talk through the plot points of the Throne of Glass series, ACOTAR, and Crescent City with vague spoiler-type discussions. Daryn will ask questions and be vaguely judgemental and confused. Come join us!

It's time for our third episode and instead of encouraging you to read, it's time for a DNF (did not finish) episode! Daryn & Paige wax poetic about reading, hate on books, and ultimately just list some of the books we didn't finish recently. Before you listen, check out this list of books we talked about to make sure you don't have a book spoiled for you:

• Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings (no spoilers just Daryn being grouchy)
• The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy by Erika Johansen (no spoilers just Daryn aggressively hating it)
• This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti (yes spoilers - Paige had a lot of opinions)
• A Soul as Cold as Frost by Jennifer Kropf (kind of spoilers because Daryn didn't finish it)
• The Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope (no spoilers Paige didn't know what was happening)
• The Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare (no spoilers just Daryn beefin')
• The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (vague spoilers - both of us didn't dig it)
• My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (no spoilers just a not-safe-for-work discussion)
• Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (no spoilers because Daryn only made it 25 pages)
• I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (spoilers but it's non-fiction so calm down)
• Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (nah - Daryn's current read)
• The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout (kind of spoilers for general series plot)
• You Again by Kate Goldbeck (no spoilers because Daryn didn't get far into it)
• The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen (vague spoilers but Paige seems to have something against people with an "L" middle initial)

This week we discuss My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (with spoilers) and The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher (with spoilers) after reading half and all the books respectively (you'll see what we mean). It may not be clear from the previous sentence or from the episode title, but this episode does contain spoilers; don't listen if these books are on your TBR and you don't want to know!

Welcome to episode 1 of our new book podcast! Paige & Daryn will convince each other to read a book without spoilers, talk about the format of the podcast, and muddle through starting & ending a podcast episode.