Hello, hi, and “Welcome back to Medium Lady Reads! This is Episode 53, “Trust your Gut and Read What You Want PLUS our Best Books of the Year.” As always, Erin and Jillian have new book recommendations to share!

We’re so happy you’re here—especially in this cozy, end-of-year stretch. Whether you’ve been listening all along or you’re finding us for the first time, thank you for choosing to spend a little reading time with us. Today we’re settling in with fresh book talk, comforting reads, and a few titles that might be just right for this quiet in-between week.

In This Episode:

• It’s time for a check-in! The ladies check in on how their reading and life are going.
• After the check in, the ladies jump into their book reviews. Tune in to hear what books they’re recommending this week.
• Instead of Hot Takes, this week the ladies are sharing the books that stuck with them throughout the year.
• The ladies wrap up their last show of the year by sharing what’s on their holds list and what’s coming next on their TBR.
• The ladies will be taking a winter break for all of January, but will be back in February.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

• Alchemised by SenLinYu
• A Merry Little Life by Sarah Morgan
• Half Spent Was the Night by Ami McKay
• Mate by Ali Hazelwood
• The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill
• Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake
• The Will of the Many by James Islington
• The Strength of the Few by James Islington
• Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Bablola
• Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• The Dirt Beneath Our Door by Pamela Jones
• Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
• The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
• Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
• The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover
• Weyward by Emilia Hart
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• The Unseen World by Liz Moore
• Women Who Work Too Much by Tamu Thomas
• One Perfect Summer by Carley Fortune
• The Gift by Danielle Steel
• The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
• An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
• Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss

Hello, hi, and “Welcome back to Medium Lady Reads! This is Episode 52, “Romantasy VS Your English Lit Degree.” As always, Erin and Jillian have new book recommendations to share!

We’re really glad you’ve joined us today. As we ease deeper into the holiday season, maybe your reading life feels steady and cozy… or maybe it’s a little chaotic. Either way, we’ve got some great books to share that might meet you exactly where you are.

In This Episode:

• The ladies start the show the same way they usually do by checking in on how their reading and life is going.
• Time to jump into the meat of the episode! Erin starts the show off with her review, and Jillian’s review follows it.
• Next up is hot takes! This week, the ladies discuss this Instagram reel from @kaila.books.
• Erin and Jillian wrap up with the holds list and share what they’re going to read next.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

• Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
• The Will of the Many by James Islington
• Primal Intelligence by Angus Fletcher
• If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
• Sisters In the Wind by Angeline Boulley
• The Firekeepers Daughter by Angeline Boulley
• Wreck by Catherine Newman
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman
• We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
• Brimstone by Callie Hart
• Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
• An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
• The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill
• Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
• Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane
• The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
• Hagitude by Sharon Blackie
• Alchemised by SenLinYu
• Snowed In For Christmas by Jaqueline Snowe

Hello, hi, and welcome to Medium Lady Reads. This is episode 51 - A VERY special episode, our FIFTH annual Cozy Christmas Reads! This is the perfect time of year for some emotional junk food in book form!

We are celebrating the fifth season of our annual Cozy Christmas Reads episode. Here are the links to 2021, 2022 and 2023 and 2024. For those who know the Cozy Christmas episode traditions well, you know that means we’re joined by two amazing and special guests Stef Cunningham and Ali Oppenlaender.

In This Episode:

• The show starts how it always does, with the ladies & their special guests checking in on how their reading is going.
• The ladies rank their reads from Scrooge to Christmas on Hallmark Street.
• Next up, the friends share the books they brought to the episode. Listener, you’ll be walking away with 8 cozy books for your holiday listening.
• It wouldn’t be an episode of Medium Lady Reads without hot takes. Tune in to find out what we’re all thinking.
• All four women share what they’re waiting for from the library and what they’re reading next.

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

• All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
• Maple Syrup: A Short History of Canada's Sweetest Obsession by Peter Kuitenbrouwer
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• Tress and The Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
• Hot Desk by Laura Dickerman
• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
• Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
• Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss
• Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
• The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
• December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
• Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
• Half Spent was the Night by Ami McKay
• The Mistletoe Mystery: A Maid Novella by Nita Prose
• A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan
• The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan
• The Bookbinder by Pip Williams
• The Dictionary of Lost of Words by Pip Williams
• Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
• Love Light Farms by B.K. Borison
• First Time Caller by B.K. Borison
• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
• Christmas at the Ranch by Julia McKay
• How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
• One In A Million Boy by Monica Wood
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
• Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
• In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
• Alchemised by SenLinYu
• Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
• Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
• The Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
• Wreck by Catherine Newman
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
• Walking with Beth by Merilyn Simonds
• Accomplish to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
• August Lane by Regina Black