Your Bookstore Besties

Becky and Rachele catch up on what they've finished reading, what they are reading now, AND talk about some very exciting upcoming book-to-screen adaptations!

All the books we mentioned:

A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

The Unknown by Riley Sager

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Game Changer by Rachel Reid

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

The Long Game by Rachel Reid

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 1 by Beth Brower

Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies by Ann Hornaday

Live, Laugh, Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made by Kristen Kobes Du Mez

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes Du Mez

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Verity by Colleen Hoover

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remarried Empress by Alphatart

The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Happy Place by Emily Henry

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

Follow us on instagram @yourbookstorebesties and join the conversation

Becky & Rachele play some silly games and discuss their weekends and recent reads!

All the books we mentioned:

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

A House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

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Sweet sweet Melissa joins Rachele and Becky for a chatty catch-up episode, in which they discuss quitting things, books they liked, and Goodreads newest update!

All the books we mentioned:

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

James by Percival Everett

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

The Shippers by Katherine Center

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Holes by Louis Sachar

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

Follow us on instagram @yourbookstorebesties and join the conversation

Rachele and Becky discuss their past reads, Rachele's special goal for October, and read one star reviews of some favorite books!

All the books we mentioned:

A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and S. J. Rozan

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson

Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Odyssey by Homer

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

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In this episode, Rachele and Becky catch up on their August Reads, September reading plans, and Rachele discusses her very exciting author event she attended!

All the books we mentioned:

Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchal Bullshit to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love by Tori Dunlap

Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life by Vivian Tu

Well Endowed: The Secrets to Strategic Spending, Building Financial Foundations for You and Your Family and Creating Lasting Generational Wealth, A Self-Help Financial Guide by Vivian Tu

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

Fervor by Meg Smitherman

Deathsworn by Meg Smitherman

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig

As Bad Luck Would Have It by Rachel Gillig

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

Follow us on instagram @yourbookstorebesties and join the conversation

Rachele and Becky talk current book news, play a TBR game, and Rachele shares her top 10 most anticipated spring 2026 reads!

All the books we mentioned:

A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Forgotten Melody by Sarah J. Maas

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

Villain Edit by Rosie Danan

Wish Spun by India Holton

The Tsubaki Stationery Store by Ito Ogawa

Reliquary by Hannah Whitten

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles

Funny Story by Emily Henry

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Tentacles and Triathlons by Ashley Bennett

The Last One by Will Dean

Swallowed by Meg Smitherman

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

The Alchemist of Bohemia by Gabriela Buba

The Lady of Thorns by Tasha Suri

Imps by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

When the Woods Called Us Home by Rachel Griffin

A Devil of a Crime by T. Kingfisher

Elodie and the Dark Lord by Ashley Poston

Death Sworn by Meg Smitherman

As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers

Twist by Alice Feeney

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

Follow us on instagram @yourbookstorebesties and join the conversation

In this episode, Becky and Rachele catch up the listeners on what they've been up to in July, including what they've been reading, and then they discuss their Bestie's Reading Challenge!

All the books we mentioned:Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Kindred by Octavia ButlerThe Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. PearsonThe Kiss of Deception by Mary E. PearsonAn Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar AdlerBlood Over Bright Haven by M. L. WangThe Burnout by Sophie KinsellaConfessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie KinsellaThe Road Trip by Beth O'LearyThe Foxhole Court by Nora SakavicThe Raven King by Nora SakavicThe King's Men by Nora SakavicLights Out by Navessa AllenGame On by Navessa AllenThe Odyssey by HomerWhy Odysseus?: Survivor, Scoundrel, (Anti)hero by Joel P. ChristensenDagger Mouth by H. M. WolfeThe Poet Empress by Shen TaoSea of Tranquility by Emily St. John MandelStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelThe Glass Hotel by Emily St. John MandelExit Party by Emily St. John MandelAtmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidThis Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneAssistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

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A very exciting episode where Rachele (virtually) sits down with Joel P. Christensen, author of Why Odysseus? Survivor, Scoundrel, (Anti)Hero and Becca, friend of the podcast and Joel's research assistant and talk all things Odyssey. We discuss the current online culture surrounding the release of Nolan's Odyssey film, our thoughts and feelings after seeing it, and all things Homer and Odysseus. We also talk about the inspiration for Joel's newest book, and fun conversations about pop culture references, fan fiction, and even some Odyssey memes that have been going around. This episode is our longest yet - maybe in honor of Odysseus's journey home. We hope you enjoy!

Find Joel and Becca on social media:

Joel's website - https://sententiaeantiquae.com/

Joel's twitter - https://x.com/sentantiq

Link for "Why Odysseus" - https://bookshop.org/p/books/why-odysseus-survivor-scoundrel-anti-hero-joel-p-christensen/f9b6532a63c1d082?ean=9783032209863&bkshp-astro=t

Becca's twitter - https://x.com/beccafrankel

Becca's instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beccafrankel/

Becca's Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/prettycynical/

All the books we mentioned:

Why Odysseus: Survivor, Scoundrel, (Anti)Hero by Joel P. Christensen

The Odyssey by Homer — translation by Emily Wilson

The Iliad by Homer - translation by Emily Wilson

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Circe by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

The "Odyssey" in Athens by Erwin F. Cook

The Odyssey Effect by Erica Stevenson

The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds

The Iliad by Homer — Stanley Lombardo translation

The Iliad by Homer — Richmond Lattimore translation

The Odyssey by Homer — Gareth Hinds graphic novel adaptation

Because Becky rarely edits the episodes, she gets to come up with provocative titles when she does. In this fascinating episode, the Besties catch each other up on their reads after not speaking to each other for a month. Then, they conclude the episode with the Reading Challenge! What book will they each pick to read in July?!

All the books we mentioned:

Yesteryear | Caro Claire Burke

Writing Creativity and Soul | Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees

The Mermaid Chair

His and Hers | Alice Feeney

My Husband’s Wife | Alice Feeney

This Will Be Fun | E. B. Asher

Ella Encanted | Gail Carson Levine

Full Metal Alchemist Volume 1 | Hiromu Arakawa

Truro Bear | Mary Oliver

Devotions | Mary Oliver

Atmosphere | Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones and the Six | Taylor Jenkins Reid

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Caretaker | Marcus Kliewer

The Raven Scholar | Antonia Hodgson

Direbound | Sable Sorenson

The Maidens | Alex Michaelides

Sea of Tranquility | Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven | Emily St. John Mandel

Tress of the Emerald Sea | Brandon Sanderson

Heartless Hunter | Kristen Ciccarelli

Poet Empress | Shen Tao

Exit Party | Emily St. John Mandel

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Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

Follow us on instagram @yourbookstorebesties and join the conversation

In today's exciting episode, Rachele and Becky get the chance to interview 2026 debut fantasy author Amanda Connolly! We discuss her debut fantasy novel The Lure of Wolves and Whispers (releasing July 7th, 2026), as well as her reading preferences, favorite tropes, and even try to get information out of her about Book Two! Listen in to learn all about this fantastic new release, and pre-order from your local independent or brick and mortar bookstore!

Follow Amanda on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/amandacconn/?hl=en

Check out The Lure of Wolves and Whispers on Goodreads here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242975002-the-lure-of-wolves-and-whispers

Pre-order on Bookshop.org here!

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-lure-of-wolves-and-whispers-amanda-connolly/6ebae0588c863931?ean=9781665989510&next=t

All the books we mentioned:

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino

Silvercloak by L. K. Steven

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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Follow us on Goodreads too!

Rachele: Littlelovedbooks

Becky: Bexmex

Follow us on instagram @yourbookstorebesties and join the conversation