Join us in conversation with New York Times bestselling author, Amie Kaufman, as we continue Young Adult month! We discuss the novels that shaped Amie as a young adult herself, the YA genre as a literature of transformation, what it's like to write in conversation with teenagers, how to find the quiet moments when writing with pace, how Amie got a tour of NASA, and we take a peek into Amie's soon-to-be finished PhD research (one of us, one of us).

MENTIONS

Books

The Baby-sitters Club, Ann M. Martin

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, Jules Verne

The Dark Is Rising, Susan Cooper

The Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey

Lady's Knight, Amie Kaufman

Red Star Rebels, Amie Kaufman

Illuminae, Amie Kaufman

Films/TV

A Knight's Tale, 2001

The Martian, 2015

Die Hard, 1988

Home Alone, 1990

Speed, 1994

Authors

Marie Lu

Dhonielle CLayton

Lisa Fuller

Sabaa Tahir

Amy Doak

Ellie Marney

Other

Michael Whelan, Artist

Oasis, Band

Miyazaki, Animator and Filmmaker

LINKS

🚀 Where to find Amie Kaufman:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amiekaufmanauthor

WEB: https://amiekaufman.com

Amie Kaufman On Writing: A Podcast: https://amiekaufman.com/podcast/

PUB DATES: https://open.spotify.com/show/33aX9ceG027L7tfU3GK5av

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

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TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/

Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

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Can you remember what it was like to be a teenager? This week, author Olivia De Zilva joins us again to recall the feelings and stories that shaped us when we were young. As an ex-teenager and current writer for teens/young adults, Olivia has much wisdom to share about the whimsy and grittiness that characterise those formative years. Over the past few decades, what’s changed and what’s remained the same about books for young readers? What do teenagers really want to read? And how do authors express life’s messiness to younger audiences without being paternalistic?

If you love YA or know somebody who does — check out Olivia De Zilva’s latest novel, Eggshell! It’s the current Amy & book of the month and we’d love to see you at our live book club over on YouTube on April 23 (7pm ACST).

MENTIONS:

Authors:
Jacqueline Wilson
John Green
Lemony Snicket
Rachel Hennessy

Books:
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Eggshell by Olivia De Zilva
First Love from Silhouette series by Silhouette Books New York
Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein
I Am David by Anne Holm
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
Max Remy Super Spy by Deborah Abela
My Spare Heart by Jared Thomas
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
Specky Magee by Felice Arena & Garry Lyon
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant
The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Tom Brown’s School Days by Thomas Hughes
Warriors by Erin Hunter
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Film & TV:
Bluey (2018–)
BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)
Daria (1997-2002)
Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
Skins (2007-2013)
The OC (2003-2007)
The Princess Diaries (2001)
The Saddle Club (2001-2009)
Wuthering Heights (2026)

Other:
Molly Goodrich, 2020, ‘The Rise and Fall of YA’, Your Magazine, August 8
@Comfortable_Bell9539 ‘As a former fan, I feel betrayed by her’, r/EnoughJKRowling, Reddit

LINKS:

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💛 Where to find Amy:
* Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ amymatthewsauthor/
* Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
* Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening! 💞

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Welcome to YA month! We're starting off the month talking about the fundamentals of the genre: what is it, why is it, and is it even a real genre? We get into the politics of ratings for books, letting kids pick their own reads, the YA author's obligation to hopefulness, and we name more books than ever, maybe.

This month we’re reading Eggshell by Olivia De Zilva. Grab your copy and have a read before our bookclub on 23rd April, and don't miss Olivia's episode with us next week where we talk about our fave YA books!

*This is definitely a joke. Don't do drugs, kids!

MENTIONS

Books
Eggshell, Olivia De Silva
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
The Messenger, Markus Zusak
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
Warriors, Erin Hunter
Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket
The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
Divergent, Veronica Roth
Boy Meets Boy, David Levithan
Looking for Alaska, John Green
Pushing the Limits, Katie McGarry
The Wind Singer, William Nicholson
Truck Dogs, Graeme Base
Sweet Valley High Series, Francine Pascal
The Witches, Roald Dahl
The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
Magician, Raymond E Feist
Flowers in the Attic, V.C. Andrews
Icebreaker, Hannah Grace
The Crucible, Arthur Miller
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
Lapvona, Ottessa Moshfegh
The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Raven Cycle, Maggie Stiefvater
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Song of the Lioness, Tamora Pierce
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Sue Townsend
The Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan
The Twilight series, Stephanie Meyer
The Discworld series, Terry Pratchett
Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
The Wicked Lovely Series, Melissa Marr
Modern Faerie Tales series, Holly Black
Fallen, Lauren Kate
The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Patrick Ness
The Mortal Instruments series, Cassandra Clare

Films/TV
Dead Poets Society, 1989
Bridge to Terabithia, 2007
The Reader, 2008
The Lion King, 1994
The Fox and the Hound, 1981
Treasure Planet, 2002
Seven Up! series, (1964 - 2019)

Authors
Andy Griffiths
Sidney Sheldon
Harlan Coben
Stephen King
Charles Dickens

LINKS

• 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
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💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

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It's our first LIVE BOOK CLUB of 2026 !!

Join the Amy & team (minus Payton, who was missed) to catch up on recent events before we dive into our BoTM, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson. Would you survive being locked in a night club by a serial killer? Would you be caught dead on a speed date? How do you feel about dual narrated audiobooks? All important questions that we answer together as we discuss the marriage between the romance and horror genres and the rise in horromance novels . . . and end the episode playing a game, created by Harry, that has us all reaching for the closest sharp object we can find.

MENTIONS:

Books

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

The Game Changer Series by Rachel Reid

Film/TV

Zombieland, Columbia Pictures

Scream (1996), Woods Entertainment

Jennifer's Body, 20th Century Fox

My Best Friend's Wedding, Sony Pictures

Never Been Kissed, 20th Century Fox

The Wedding Date, Universal Pictures

Groundhog Day, Columbia Pictures

LINKS

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub

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TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/

Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we interviewed the author of our latest favourite, and Book Club book of the month, 'How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates.' We chat all about the witty new slasher romance, the anxieties it feeds off, how to plot a book that spans over only a few hours, and the horniness of horror. What would you do if you were stuck with a serial killer, and they'd killed your blind date during a blackout opposite you at the table? Some of us would run and hide! Abby would probably grab the nearest weapon and fight to save us all.

LINKS

🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

📚Where to find Shailee:

WEBSITE: https://shaileethompson.com/home/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shaileewrites/

🌸 Our Socials:

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/169K69qXsh/

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/

Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor

WEBSITE: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for watching!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Continuing a banger month of unconventional romance (Bad ra-ra ah-ah-ah), this week we're digging into the phenomenon of Sentient Object Romance. What initially seems like a silly, goofy genre is revealed to have hidden depths as we get into the topics of women's pleasure, consent, being seen, and the kindness of these stories. Don't worry, we also play games! We learn things about ourselves with a game of FMK, and test our resolve as Payton delights us with select readings from the genre. It's worth noting: this episode may be particularly NSFW.

This month we’re reading How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson. If a slasher x Rom-Com mashup appeals to you, get yourself a copy and stay tuned for our interview with the author on March 19, followed by our live book club over on YouTube on March 26!

MENTIONS

Books
Hallowpeen by Holly Wilde
The Deviled Egg Made Me Do It by Holly Wilde
Cold Sweat by Vera Valentine
Taken by the Tetris Blocks by Leonard Delaney
Melt for Daddy by Holly Wilde
Pounded by Produce by G.M. Fairy
Bedding the Bedding by Annara Layne
Penetrated by the President's Twitter Feed by M.J. Edwards
Pushin' Cushions by Vera Valentine & Unfortunate Reads
Pounded by Pluto by Leonard Delaney
Squeak by Vera Valentine
Stuffed by Sylvia Morrow
Midori Days by Kazurou Inoue (anime series by Studio Pierrot)

Film/TV
Pinnocchio, Disney
Toy Story, Disney
Beauty & the Beast, Disney
Star Wars, Lucasfilm
Doctor Who, BBC
Dukes of Hazzard, CBS

OTHER MEDIA
Date Everything, Sassy Chap Games
I'm in Love with my Car, Queen
Chuck Tingle (author)
Grapie Deltaco (Youtube)

LINKS

• 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/169K69qXsh/
• TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub

💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for listening!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh it is good to be back for Season 2! This month’s theme is Bad (ra-ra, ah-ah-ah) Romance and today we’re kicking the year off with a discussion of serial killer Romance Fiction. The episode begins with a very reasonable conversation about the ethics of True Crime entertainment and then … well. But within the proceeding chaos — games, Harry’s “incontinence”, and Amy’s determination to be the easiest prey a murderer could ask for — are a few gems regarding K-Dramas, Dark Romance novels, serial killers as patriarchs, and humanity’s fixation with the macabre.

This month we’re reading How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson. If a slasher x Rom-Com mashup appeals to you, get yourself a copy and stay tuned for our interview with the author on March 19, followed by our live book club over on YouTube on March 26!

MENTIONS

Books
The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
Joe Cinque’s Consolation by Ann Rule
Mindhunter by John Douglas & Mark Olshaker
The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, & Sarah Krasnostein
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates Shailee Thompson

Podcast
Serial from New York Times

Film/TV
Killing Eve, BBC
Flower of Evil, Studio Dragon
Come and Hug Me, MBC
Crash Course in Romance, Studio Dragon
Making a Murderer, Netflix
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Columbia Pictures

CITATIONS

Freud, Sigmund. Beyond the Pleasure Principle. Translated by James Strachey, London: W. W. & Company, 1961.

Marono, Abbie Jean et al. “A Behaviour Sequence Analysis of Serial Killers' Lives: From Childhood Abuse to Methods of Murder.” Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, vol. 27,1 126-137. 6 Feb. 2020, doi:10.1080/13218719.2019.1695517

LINKS

• 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://tr.ee/Mn6oTQ2AOW

🌸 Our Socials:

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub
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💛 Where to find Amy:

• Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/
• Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor
• Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/

Thank you so much for watching!💞

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We powered through technical difficulties and wifi troubles to bring you a wrap up of 2025 and the finale of our first season of the pod! Thank you to everyone who read along, listened to or watched each episode, followed us on socials, or joined us for one of our live book clubs. We appreciate all your support and hope to see you again next year for season two!

Also, apologies for how terrible we were at audibly naming all of the things we were talking about! All the books and movies we covered are listed below in the order we mentioned them.

MENTIONS

📚 BOOKS: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Emma of 83rd Street, Elizabeth of East Hampton & Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding; Side Chick Nation by Aya de Leon; Playing Nice was Getting Me Nowhere by Alex Cothren; Salvage by Jennifer Mills; Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren; Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward; In Spite of You by Patrick Lenton; Dancer for the Dance by Andrew Holleran; Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Amy Barry; An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister; Conflict and Colonialism in 21st Century Romantic Historical Fiction edited by Hsu-Ming Teo & Poloma Fresna-Calleja; The World Was Whole by Fiona Wright; Plastic Budgie by Olivia De Zilva; Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta; Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin & Marissa Stapley

🎬 MOVIES: Pride and Prejudice (2005); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

LINKS:

• Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub
• Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub
• Join the Amy & Bookclub: Amy & Bookclub
• Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor
• Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor
• Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single "Same Old" here.

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