What's more criminal in the book world – dog-earing pages or cracking spines? Would you abandon all fantasy books forever if it meant never having to read another detective novel? These are the tough questions we're tackling in our latest Book Bites episode!

We're playing a bookish version of "Would You Rather" that reveals surprising insights about our reading habits and preferences. From debating whether we'd rather read only books with ugly covers (but amazing writing) or gorgeous editions filled with terrible prose, to considering whether we'd survive better in a fantasy world without plumbing or a dystopian society where books are banned – our answers might surprise you!

The conversation takes amusing turns as we weigh the pros and cons of slow-burn romances versus insta-love, standalone novels versus series commitments, and whether we'd rather have an enemies-to-lovers story with no tension or a friends-to-lovers tale with zero chemistry. Our passionate reactions to certain scenarios (particularly around book care and unsatisfying endings) reveal just how deeply personal our relationships with books truly are.

This light-hearted episode offers a window into what readers value most in their literary experiences. Do we prioritize beautiful prose over plot? Would we sacrifice comfort for freedom? And why does the miscommunication trope drive us absolutely crazy? Join us for laughs, literary debates, and the revelation that some book preferences might actually be dealbreakers!

We'll be sharing these questions on our Instagram for you to weigh in with your own choices. Which side will you take in these bookish dilemmas? Let us know!

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

We explore Hannah Bonman-Young's romance novel "Out of the Woods," a story about high school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb who attend a wilderness couples retreat to save their 16-year marriage after a fundraiser disaster reveals deeper relationship issues.

• Sarah experiences an identity crisis after feeling like Caleb always swoops in to fix her problems
• The "Reignite" couples retreat forces them to confront communication issues through hiking and exercises
• Sarah struggles with wanting independence while Caleb doesn't understand why his helping is problematic
• The couple works through Sarah's desire to have purpose beyond being a wife
• A dramatic accident forces both to reassess what truly matters in their relationship
• The epilogue shows both partners finding fulfillment—Sarah as a successful writer and Caleb redirecting his business toward charitable work
• Both characters maintain their decision to remain child-free throughout the story

Check out our mini-episode where we try some of the communication exercises from the book! Follow us on social media for more book discussions and recommendations.

#BookReview #BookDiscussion #BookChat #BooksOfInstagram #ReadingCommunity #BookLovers #AmReading #BookAddict #TBR #Bookstagram
#BookPodcast #PodcastEpisode #NewPodcast #WhenGirlsTalkBooks #WomenWhoPodcast #PodcastLife #PodcastReview #ListenNow #PodcastRecommendations #PodcastersOfInstagram
#HorrorBooks #ThrillerReads #CreepyReads #ScaryBooks #DarkReads #PsychologicalThriller #GoryBooks #IntenseReads #HorrorFiction #PageTurner
#TheTroop #NickCutter #NickCutterBooks #TheTroopReview #TheTroopBook #TheTroopDiscussion #TheTroopPodcast #TheTroopReaction #WildernessHorror #BioHorror
#HorrorLit #GruesomeReads #BodyHorror #IslandHorror #SciFiHorror #YAThriller #MenacingReads #CampHorror #FreakyFiction #ContemporaryHorror
#WomenWhoRead #GirlsWhoRead #WomenInBooks #BookishGirls #BookishWomen #FeministReaders #ReadingWithGirls #WomenSupportingWomen #BookishBesties #WomenInPodcasting
#MustRead #BookTok #BookTokRecs #TikTokReads #Bookstagrammer #BookstagramFeature #InstaBooks #BookObsessed #ReadersOfInstagram #ViralReads
#WhatDidIJustRead #ThisBookTho #ICantEven #MindBlown #SoCreepy #BookHangover #Unputdownable #WTFBook #ShockingRead #BookReactions
#SurvivalHorror #StrandedStory #IslandTerror #ScienceGoneWrong #ExperimentalHorror #NatureHorror #ParasiticTerror #FeralFiction #BioThriller #MutantReads
#ExplorePage #ContentCreators #IGReads #ViralPodcasts #CreativePodcasts #NextRead #CurrentlyReading #BookishContent

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

We take our mini podcast episode into the woods for three friendship exercises that celebrate our long-standing connection while tying into our full-length "Out of the Woods" episode.

• Book character descriptions of each other, revealing how we see one another's essence
• Creating paper airplanes with meaningful memories and wishes written inside
• Blind trust exercise involving rock stacking with one person blindfolded
• Reminiscing about our "ugly and proud days" that predated the modern concept of "rotting"
• Sharing wishes for authentic living and creating a compound to raise our families together
• Navigating persistent bees and potential water mishaps with humor
• Successfully completing challenges while preserving our perfectly applied lashes

For the full imagery of our woodland adventure, check out our YouTube channel where you can watch these friendship exercises in action.

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

We dive into our fan casting choices for Nick Cutter's skin-crawling horror novel, imagining which actors would bring these disturbing characters to life on screen. The book's phenomenal writing made our skin crawl in the best possible way, earning a strong 4.5/5 rating despite—or perhaps because of—how deeply uncomfortable it made us feel.

• Fan casting pairs book characters with actors who could play them in a hypothetical film adaptation
• David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Paul Bettany suggested for Scoutmaster Tim
• Evan Peters unanimously chosen as the perfect actor to play creepy Shelly
• Actors from "Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" inspired many of our casting choices
• Brief side discussion about Shia LaBeouf and the film "Peanut Butter Falcon"
• Nick Cutter's descriptive writing made the horror feel visceral and real
• Initial confusion about "the worm thing" gave way to complete immersion
• The book gets under your skin and stays with you after reading

Follow, subscribe, and share!

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

Susie and Kylee dive deep into Nick Cutter's disturbing horror novel "The Troop," a visceral tale about a Boy Scout troop stranded on an island with a mysterious, ravenous stranger harboring a deadly parasitic infection.

• Immediate trigger warnings for horror elements, animal abuse, and graphic body horror
• Discussion of the five Boy Scouts and their distinct personalities—Kent the bully, Ephraim the troubled kid, Max the regular guy, Newt the smart one, and Shelly the sociopath
• Exploration of the military-created parasitic worms that cause insatiable hunger while breeding inside human hosts
• Analysis of Shelley's disturbing psychological development and sadistic behavior toward the other boys
• Breakdown of the Lord of the Flies-like descent as the boys struggle to survive while infection spreads
• Detailed examination of the most horrific scenes including the cave sequence and medical experiments
• Reflection on the ambiguous ending and theories about Max's final fate
• Rating of 4-4.5 stars for the novel's effectiveness as pure, old-school horror

If you're looking for a genuinely scary horror novel that will get under your skin (literally and figuratively), "The Troop" delivers—but proceed with extreme caution.

#BookReview #BookDiscussion #BookChat #BooksOfInstagram #ReadingCommunity #BookLovers #AmReading #BookAddict #TBR #Bookstagram
#BookPodcast #PodcastEpisode #NewPodcast #WhenGirlsTalkBooks #WomenWhoPodcast #PodcastLife #PodcastReview #ListenNow #PodcastRecommendations #PodcastersOfInstagram
#HorrorBooks #ThrillerReads #CreepyReads #ScaryBooks #DarkReads #PsychologicalThriller #GoryBooks #IntenseReads #HorrorFiction #PageTurner
#TheTroop #NickCutter #NickCutterBooks #TheTroopReview #TheTroopBook #TheTroopDiscussion #TheTroopPodcast #TheTroopReaction #WildernessHorror #BioHorror
#HorrorLit #GruesomeReads #BodyHorror #IslandHorror #SciFiHorror #YAThriller #MenacingReads #CampHorror #FreakyFiction #ContemporaryHorror
#WomenWhoRead #GirlsWhoRead #WomenInBooks #BookishGirls #BookishWomen #FeministReaders #ReadingWithGirls #WomenSupportingWomen #BookishBesties #WomenInPodcasting
#MustRead #BookTok #BookTokRecs #TikTokReads #Bookstagrammer #BookstagramFeature #InstaBooks #BookObsessed #ReadersOfInstagram #ViralReads
#WhatDidIJustRead #ThisBookTho #ICantEven #MindBlown #SoCreepy #BookHangover #Unputdownable #WTFBook #ShockingRead #BookReactions
#SurvivalHorror #StrandedStory #IslandTerror #ScienceGoneWrong #ExperimentalHorror #NatureHorror #ParasiticTerror #FeralFiction #BioThriller #MutantReads
#ExplorePage #ContentCreators #IGReads #BoostYourContent #ViralPodcasts #AlgorithmBoost #CreativePodcasts #NextRead #CurrentlyReading #BookishContent

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

Summer reading season brings endless possibilities for literary escape, whether you're lounging poolside or retreating to a cabin in the woods. Our latest roundup of recommendations spans across genres, proving that summer reads can be whatever your heart desires.

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

Buckle up for our most brutally honest episode yet as we tackle "In the Dark I See You" by Malika Narayanan—a thriller that had us cranking our audiobook speed to maximum just to reach the finish line.

What starts as a seemingly intriguing premise—a blind woman named Audrey discovers her neighbor Sarah's dead body—quickly devolves into a labyrinth of confusing timelines, meaningless cliffhangers, and plot threads that lead absolutely nowhere. We break down why this particular thriller left us both with matching low star ratings and wondering where the actual thrills were hiding.

The story jumps between "Audrey's perspective" and "Sarah's perspective" across multiple timelines spanning from "present day" to various points in the past. We navigate through neighborhood break-ins, an elaborate embezzlement subplot, mysterious surveillance operations, and supposed romantic entanglements—all while trying to piece together what any of it has to do with the central murder mystery.

Between Audrey's peculiar dirt-eating habit, an inexplicable listening device installed in Sarah's closet, and detectives who seem more interested in proving Audrey guilty than solving the crime, we're left increasingly baffled as the story unfolds. When the major twist finally arrives—that Audrey and Sarah are actually the same person—it's less of an "aha!" moment and more of an exasperated "really?"

Despite our disappointment, we find moments of humor in our shared confusion and even offer our fantasy casting suggestions should anyone dare to adapt this story for the screen. Join us as we demonstrate that even passionate book lovers sometimes encounter reads that just aren't their cup of tea—and that's perfectly okay.

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here

Ever found yourself debating whether listening to an audiobook "counts" as reading? You're not alone. Our latest Book Bites episode dives deep into the fascinating divide between audiobooks and physical reading, revealing how our brains process information in surprisingly different ways.

Susie and Kylee sit on opposite ends of the reading spectrum – one connects more deeply through audiobooks, while the other needs the physical page to truly absorb a story. This fundamental difference leads to a fascinating conversation about how we each uniquely process information.

The discussion covers everything from narrators who make or break audiobooks (with strong opinions on certain Irish accents!), to which genres work better in audio format versus text. Non-fiction and books with extensive character lists often shine as audiobooks, while complex fantasy with intricate worldbuilding might benefit from the ability to flip back pages for reference. Speed listeners will appreciate the debate on whether 1.5x or 2x is the sweet spot for audiobook consumption.

What emerges most clearly? There's no wrong way to enjoy literature. So tell us – are you Team Audiobook, Team Physical Book, or happily enjoying both worlds? Your brain might just be wired for one more than the other!

Support the show

Editing done by Connor Luther @clfilms.co
Music by @thundercatlouis
Merch Here