Two friends have a quick catch up and then discuss a recent read with a deep dive on the book! Join us every other week for the conversation! Find us on Instagram and Twitter @AdultBookClub21
The podcast Adult Book Club is created by Russell MacDougall. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Welcome to the 87th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune. Discussion of the book starts at the 8th minute. Spoilers are between the 32 and 1:20 minute marks. We talk about our return to Klune’s magical world and how he made it feel fresh and kept us interested using mostly the same characters. In spoilers we get into some of their growth as well as the conflict in our story and how this potentially set us up for more to come. We finish with our usual segments and have a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
In the Bonus episode for 2024 we cover two different books from the Big "D" Dads: The Daltons series by Joanna Wayne and then have some year end trivia to wrap up 2024. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 86th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Survivors by Alex Schulman. Discussion of the book starts at the 8th minute. Spoilers are between the 39 and 1:15 minute marks. We spend a lot of time discussing the set up of this book as well as the interesting way it was written. In spoilers we get more into our characters and discuss the big reveal and how it changed how we viewed the relationships in the rest of the story. We finish with our usual segments and set up our holiday bonus episode with a surprise book reveal. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 85th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel. Discussion of the book starts at the 8th minute. Spoilers are between the 47 and 1:22 minute marks. We discuss our characters and how much we enjoyed the realism created by the setting of this novel. In spoilers we get into the portrayal of religion and spiritualism, as well as the issues we had with the third act and most relationships in the book. We finish with our usual segments and surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 84th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Discussion of the book starts at the 8th minute. Spoilers are between the 26 and 59 minute marks. We discuss the perspective of this book and what it’s like being inside of Christopher’s head. In spoilers we get into the relationships with his mom and dad and discuss how we felt about the twists in our story and the overall plot. We finish with our usual segments and Taja creating a new rule for our grading system. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 83rd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold. Discussion of the book starts at the 10th minute. Spoilers are between the 41 and 1:44 minute marks. We discuss our three different points of view as well as our setting and cause of the apocalypse. In spoilers we get out our string and create our own conspiracy boards about the different paths our characters have taken and where that leaves them. We finish with our usual segments and a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 82nd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. Discussion of the book starts at the 10th minute. Spoilers are between the 37 and 1:21 minute marks. We discuss how much we enjoyed the set up of this book and our main character Katey as well as the setting of 1938 New York City. In Spoilers we discuss our favorite character Wallace as well as the truths that are revealed about some of the others. We finish with our usual segments and grades. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 81st Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. No spoilers section for this book as we change up the podcast form to fit the novel. We discuss the structure of the book and how it often left us confused as to what was actually happening and which parts, if any, were scenes from a show. We also cover how the message behind the story really stuck with us and how different characters revealed different struggles for Asian Americans. We finish with our usual segments and a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 80th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Virtual Mode by Piers Anthony. Discussion of the book starts at the 8th minute. Spoilers are between the 38 and 1:16 minute marks. We discuss how this book lost us from the start and never got us back. In spoilers we get into the rest of our characters and how the ideas of them may have worked but the execution failed; as well as how the ending left us not wanting to continue the story. We finish with our usual segments after. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 79th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Discussion of the book starts at the 5th minute. Spoilers are between the 35 and 1:25 minute marks. We discuss what we liked about the world and school that Yarros built as well as which characters stood out to us and why. In spoilers we get into the romance and sexy bits, while also getting more in detail about the dragons, twists, and how we think she handled the ending. We finish with our usual segments and a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 78th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Abandon by Blake Crouch. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 36 and 1:31 minute marks. We discuss how Crouch handled the dual timelines and bleed through of past and present at length. In spoilers we dig into both timelines and discuss the characters we liked and how we felt about the mystery behind the ghost town. We finish with our usual segments and grading. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 77th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. Discussion of the book starts at the 11th minute. Spoilers are between the 39 and 1:11 minute marks. We discuss our characters and the decision to write a prequel to a best seller at length. In spoilers, we get into the rest of our troop and romantic interest while discussing how we thought the ending was a bit flat. We then have our longest book grading conversation to date and the first ever scoring change mid-podcast. We finish with a double surprise book and our usual segments. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 76th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Discussion of the book starts at the 6th minute. Spoilers are between the 27 and 1:03 minute marks. We discuss our characters and the decisions that they make and how they deal with the consequences. In spoilers, we get more into their backgrounds and discuss how we see their lack of growth and what this means for their future. And then we finish with our scores and usual segments. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 75th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 39 and 1:08 minute marks. We discuss our characters and the magic of being able to read people and things out of a story and into your world. In spoilers we talk about the not-so-subtle twist and what felt like a merry-go-round of a plot where we kept circling back to the same place and situation. We end with our usual segments and a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 74th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 47 and 1:43 minute marks. We discuss our strong female lead and her growth throughout the story. We spend a lot of time in spoilers discussing the secrets of Gaea Station as well as the truth behind Commander Jole and the rest of our supporting cast. We wrap up quickly with our usual segments. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 73rd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Discussion of the book starts at the 12th minute. Spoilers are between the 40 and 1:16 minute marks. We discuss our three points of views and two timelines at length as well as what we thought about the magical realism in this book. In spoilers we discuss the twists and turns as well as the relationship between Martha and Henry. We finish with our usual segments and a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 72nd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Bageant. Discussion of the book starts at the 14th minute. This episode is set up differently as this book is a collection of essays so we take time going through each one and have a larger discussion throughout. The book is heavy into politics, religion, and the American lifestyle so our conversation is veered towards those topics and can be heavy at times. We do not intend to anger or hurt anyone with our opinions and just wanted to make note of that from the beginning. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 71st Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley. Discussion of the book starts at the 10th minute. Spoilers are between the 41 and 1:16 minute marks. We discuss the difficulties we had with this story trying to connect with its characters and visualize our setting. In spoilers we talk about the mysteries and magic of the world and how some of the revelations came too late for us. We finish with a brief segment sections and another surprise book for the next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 70th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Discussion of the book starts at the 12th minute. Spoilers are between the 50 and 1:30 minute marks. We discuss our strong female lead and supporting cast of a few good men at length and then in spoilers get into how we thought Reid did portraying the tennis matches, romance, and comeback of Carrie Soto. We gush about how well this book was written and the flawless choices the author made and then finish up with our usual segments Enjoy!
Welcome to the 69th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. Discussion of the book starts at the 16th minute. Spoilers are between the 1:02 and 1:51 minute marks. We discuss our middle aged, legendary protagonist at length while getting into the style of how the book was written and what we took away from it. In spoilers we talk about our villains in this story as well as what we thought of her representation of magic in this world. We finish with our usual segments and have another mystery book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 68th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Discussion of the book starts at the 15th minute. Spoilers are between the 53 and 2:05 minute marks. We discuss at length the different hosts our protagonist inhabits throughout the story as well as how different and exciting the set up for the novel was. In an extra-long spoilers section, we discuss how Turton tied up all the loose ends and avoided the usual follies involved in time travel stories. We then finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 67th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Bone Smith by Nicki Pau Preto. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 36 and 1:32 minute marks. We discuss our characters, history, and magic of this world at length and tell you which Smith we would most like to be. In spoilers we go over the multiple discoveries throughout the novel and how most, if not all, felt a little too predictable. We finish with our usual segments and a surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 66th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features No Country for Old Gnomes by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. Discussion of the book starts at the 10th minute. Spoilers are between the 48 and 1:16 minute marks. We discuss the setup of the book as well as what we discovered to be the more enjoyable way to appreciate it. We also deep dive the characters in our party and talk about the many side quests our party endures. We finish with our usual segments and a mini pod within a pod discussing Beartown and Frederik Backman. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 65th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 59 and 1:54 minute marks. We discuss Schwab’s return to her Shades of Magic world and how we felt this continuation of the story was handled compared to others we have read. We get into the characters, new and old, and explore quite a few tangents before and during spoilers. We finish with our usual segments and have another mystery book reveal for next episode. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 64th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra. Discussion of the book starts at the 14th minute. Spoilers are between the 1-hour and 1:54 minute marks. We touch on the multiple issues we had while reading this book, specifically with the set up and execution of telling the story through letters between the two characters; as well as some of the events and actions that happen throughout their relationship. We finish with our usual segments and touch on pen pals that we’ve had in the past. Enjoy!
Welcome to a bonus episode of the ABC POD the Adult Book Club with Taja and Russell where we drink and we read things. This special end of year episode features a recap of two Love Inspired Suspense novels and then a wrap up of our top books from the year.
Welcome to the 63rd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. Discussion of the book starts at the 15th minute. Spoilers are between the 1- and 2-hour marks. Like the book, we spend a lot of time pre-spoilers setting up the background for our characters and setting. In spoilers we discuss the fictional part of this historical fiction as well as what we thought of the writing and some of the tangents we were taken on. We finish with our usual segments, another surprise book for next episode and maybe a holiday bonus on the horizon. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 62nd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett. Discussion of the book starts at the 13th minute. Spoilers are between the 38 – 1:17 minute marks. We start off by getting a recap of Taja’s WinterCon experience and then dive into the book discussing the characters, setting and comedy that was used throughout. In spoilers we discuss our characters growth and share a few snippets that add some deep thought between the laughs. We finish with our usual segments and a return to surprise book reveals. Enjoy!
This episode features Wool by Hugh Howey. Discussion of the book starts at the 8th minute. Spoilers are between the 45 – 1:37 minute marks. We talk about the set up of the book being five novellas and cover the first two pre-spoilers and then get into our main character for the last three, Juliette. In spoilers we touch on more of our supporting cast as well as how we thought Howey handled his storytelling and the balance between all the plot lines. We discuss where we think we’d fit in the Silo and then finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 46 – 1:45 minute marks. We spend a lot of time prespoilers talking about our large cast of characters as well as how Russell balanced the book between past and present. In spoilers we talk more about the world building of Rakhat as well as Emilio’s experience there and his relationship with God. We finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris. Discussion of the book starts at the 13th minute. Spoilers are between the 52 – 1:54 minute marks. We discuss the ensemble cast of this book at length as well as how the setting and specifically the tension played heavily in the book. In spoilers we get into the murder as well as relationships between our characters and spend time dissecting the ending. We finish with what we missed and other segments. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 58th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Ferryman by Justin Cronin. Spoilers are between the 49 – 1:46 minute marks. We talk about how well Cronin developed his characters and the world he put them in as well as how the twists and turns keep you guessing throughout. In spoilers we get into the small and big reveals and give our thoughts on how it all came together and how well it was explained. We end with our usual segments and a little too much Johnny Walker. Enjoy!
This episode features The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. Spoilers are between the 40 – 1:33 minute marks. We discuss the different layout of this book compared to other mysteries and thrillers and how a lot of our characters aren’t as important as they usually are in books. In spoilers we talk about the genius of Ishigami and Yukawa and how both kept us guessing throughout. We end with our usual segments and another surprise book for the next show. Enjoy!
This episode features Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. Spoilers are between the 40 – 1:20 minute marks. We talk at length about how this book started off with so much potential only to struggle in the second and third acts. We get into the issues we had with the pacing and character development as well as where this book leaves you for the sequel. We also recap our time at DragonCon and finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 55th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Spoilers are between the 39 – 1:24 minute marks. We discuss the layout of this book and how easy it was to visualize our characters. We also get into Daisy and Billy’s relationship before and during spoilers, as well as discuss who we think this book is truly about. We finish with our usual segments and wrap up with another mystery book reveal. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 54th Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Spoilers are between the 36 – 1:30 minute marks. This is the first book we’ve covered that we don’t feel the same about. We discuss our different feelings about the characters, how it was written, how believable the mystery and solving it was as well as Joyce at length. We then wrap up with our usual segments and a slightly tipsy ending. Enjoy!
Welcome to the 53rd Episode of the ABC Pod the Adult Book Club where we drink and we read things. This episode features Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. Spoilers are between the 39 – 1:35 minute marks. We sing our praises about this book throughout and spend a lot of time in spoilers talking about our group of heroes and their Bonedog. We also discuss what we liked about the writing and how good the pacing was in our story. We wrap up quickly with our usual segments and random recommendation. Enjoy!
This episode features Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Spoilers are between the 47 – 1:29 minute marks. We spend a lot of time discussing how well the characters and setting were written in this book and what we liked and disliked about all of it. We also touch on how we would feel if we were recruited to be Scythes and how at times this book felt like bows on bows on bows. We finish with our usual segments and another surprise book for next episode. Enjoy!
This episode features My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Frederik Backman. Spoilers are between the 38 – 1:59 minute marks. We spend a lot of time in spoilers talking about the community that Backman built in this book and which characters tie into which fairy tale from the Land-of-Almost-Awake. We also touch on Elsa’s growth and the relationships she has as well as the connections between the characters that live in her building. We finish with our usual segments and another surprise book. Enjoy!
This episode features In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune. Spoilers are between the 38 – 1:30 minute marks. We discuss the characters at length as well as what we liked and didn’t like about the setting. During spoilers we get into more questions we had about what happened in the book and about how the author’s acknowledgements may have affected our feelings for it. We finish with our usual segments and another surprise book. Enjoy!
This episode features Stone Maidens by Lloyd Devereux Richards. Spoilers are between the 38 – 1:25 minute marks. We discuss the books late rise to viral fame over a decade after it was released as well as what we thought Richards did well and some veteran tricks he used in this debut novel. We also talk about some issues we had with it and then wrap up with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler. Spoilers are between the 50 – 1:55 minute marks. We discuss at length the differences and similarities between Anyanwu and Doro as entities and in the settlements they create. We also touch on their different powers and gush about Isaac during spoilers. We end with our usual segments and another surprise book reveal. Enjoy!
This episode features Neuromancer by William Gibson. Spoilers are between the 37 – 1:17 minute marks. Throughout the show we discuss our confusion with this novel and try to answer each other’s questions to get a clearer picture. We talk about the issues we had with setting, visualization and characters and then finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. Spoilers are between the 52 and 1:47 minute marks. We spend a lot of time talking about our main character Bree and her journey as well as how well this book was written and the multiple topics it touched and gave perspective on throughout the story. We then finish with our usual segments and have another surprise book for the next show. Enjoy!
This episode features Book of Night by Holly Black. Spoilers are between the 37 – 1:17 minute marks. We discuss what we liked about the characters, setting and magic of this world as well as how we would treat our quickened shadows. During spoilers we talk about some questions and issues this left us with and then finish with our usual segments, including our second surprise book reveal. Enjoy!
This episode features Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. Spoilers are between the 46 – 1:20 minute marks. We discuss our love for all the characters and this world they live in as well as how this book delivered perfectly on its promise of low stakes and high fantasy. We also touch on what kind of shops our DnD characters would open if they gave up adventuring and finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. This is a huge book so spoilers are long between the 56 - 2:14 minute marks. We spend a lot of time discussing which characters we loved and who we could’ve done without as well as the immense world building that went into this standalone novel. We tell you which of the six virtues of Virtudom would be our patron if we lived in this world and Taja ends spoilers with her BEEF with the book. We finish with our usual segments and have our first actual surprise book of the year revealed for our next podcast. Enjoy!
This episode features The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. Spoilers are between the 45 – 1:30 minute marks. We discuss the characters and the web that she writes them in, as well as the unusual but pleasing set up to the book. We reminisce about Y2K and discuss how this story compares to the real-life events that inspired it during spoilers. We finish with our usual segments and prepare you for our extended break. Enjoy!
This episode features The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean. Spoilers are between the 58 – 1:40 minute marks. We discuss how we liked the original idea of Book Eaters and Mind Eaters, but wished there was more emphasis on them and their abilities throughout the story. We also discuss what we think different books we’ve read would taste like and finish with our usual segments.
Russ also discusses his upcoming trip to Rwanda in February, and this is the link ( Ubaka Rwanda ) to the gofundme to raise money for the kids there for their upcoming school fees and day to day living costs. Donations or sharing the link is greatly appreciated!
This episode features California by Edan Lepucki. Spoilers are between the 58 – 1:50 marks. In this we discuss our alternating protagonists, how much we loved the post-apocalyptic setting of this story, another failure to communicate and how we think we’d do trying to survive in this world. We finish with our usual segments and manage to keep it under 3 hours. Enjoy!
This episode features A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Spoilers are between the 1:08 – 2:33 minute marks. We do apologize for our failed attempts at pronunciation of names and would like to warn you to get your tissues ready as this episode gets emotional while talking about Ove and all he has done. We end with our usual segments and discuss a little change for how books will be selected for the show in the New Year.
As a warning, a large part of this story involves Ove’s attempts and planning of suicide which we do discuss in the podcast. Please listen with care.
This episode features Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Spoilers are between the 1:10 – 2:11 minute marks. We discuss the characters, realism and use of games both in the book and our lives as well as the importance of communication. During spoilers we gush about one section in particular and then end with Taja debuting a new segment called What We Got Wrong. Enjoy!
This episode features A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Spoilers are between the 49 – 1:29 minute marks. We discuss our strong female lead as well as the incredibly original setting in this story. We also touch on some of the pieces that felt cookie cutter and what really made it stand out for us. We briefly discuss ways we would collect and store mana and then end with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian. Spoilers are between the 51 – 1:37 minute marks. We had a lot of issues with this book and spend time discussing what we didn’t like about the characters, the set up of the book and Elaine’s use of her oracle abilities. We also discuss who’s power we would like to have and then finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features the Classic Novel of South Africa, The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. We both loved this book so we spend a lot of time gushing about our protagonist Peekay and the incredible people he meets along his journey to adulthood. We encourage you to stay throughout spoilers which are between the 1:17 and 2:27 minute marks. We also discuss some of our unconventional friendships similar to Peekay and Doc’s and finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. Spoilers are between the 51 – 1:35 minute marks. We discuss the characters and curveballs thrown in this book, as well as how we felt it used perspective differently than other books we’ve read. We hit on all kinds of spoilers and then end with our usual segments and random recommendation. Enjoy!
This episode features The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye. Spoilers are between 1:01-1:32 minute marks. We discuss at length the issues that we had with this book when it came to its writing style and language as well as our inability to connect with any of the characters. We also touch on different “Nobody” roles we have in our lives and then finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features book one of The Wheel of Time series, Eye of the World by Robert Jordan; skip ahead to minute 15 to jump right to the book discussion. It’s a bigger book than we normally tackle so spoilers are longer than usual. They run from the 1:03 – 2:10 minute marks. We discuss the characters, events, lore and world building of this book as well as give some of our predictions for what happens later and where we think we’d fit in the world Jordan built. We end with our usual segments including a breakdown of Colleen Hoover’s latest It Ends With Us during current selection. Enjoy!
This episode features Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Spoilers are between the 56 – 1:39 minute marks. We discuss the layout of the book, the characters and the believability of Mandel’s version of time travel. We also discuss whether or not we believe we are living in a simulation and our feelings towards that. We finish with our usual segments where we learn about Taja’s podcast addiction, make an apology and give you our latest random recommendation. Enjoy!
This episode features Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Spoilers are between the 39 – 1:24 minute marks. We have our usual discussion on characters as well as setting and what it would take to get us to stay in High Place for a few weeks. We also go deeper into the book and explore some of our own ideas into the motivations of certain characters and have no idea how far off we probably are! We finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
On this episode we feature Upgrade, the newest book from Blake Crouch. Spoilers are between the 59 – 1:40 minute marks. We discuss the characters, the not to distant and unfortunate future setting as well as getting into what kind of upgrades or downgrades we would make to our genes. We do have a long opening where we catch up on our travels, so if you are here for the book only; skip ahead to the 27th minute! Also, after a little too much drinking and some jet lag we do refer to the epilogue of this book as the prologue about 2 dozen times during spoilers so sorry for that! Enjoy!
This episode features West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Spoilers are between the 47 – 1:29 minute marks. We discuss the characters, their connection with animals and what it was like surviving in 1938. We also have our second pod within a pod during segments and finish up with current selection and a random recommendation. Enjoy!
This episode features Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. Spoilers are between the 33 and 1:19 minute marks. We discuss how the author used this novel to highlight both prejudice and ignorance when it comes to people’s sexuality and race. We also get into how well it was written and the realism that shown through the characters. We end with our grading and usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode we discuss Hunter by Mercedes Lackey. Spoilers are between the 1:08 – 1:52 minute marks. We do get critical on this book for its too perfect protagonist and discuss how this setting was very exciting for us and we wished the author dug deeper into the background story of this world. We also talk about times we were nervous about trying new things or experiences and end a little bit tipsy with our usual segments. Enjoy!
On this episode we cover The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. We decided to forgo the spoiler’s section in this episode because while this book brings a new perspective to the story, we feel most already know the legend of Achilles and separating spoilers was unnecessary. We discuss how Miller wrote the romance and love between Patroclus and Achilles as well as how she came to the decision to tell the story this way. We spend a lot of time on their relationship but also touch on the other players and events surrounding their upbringing and the Trojan War. Enjoy!
This episode features The Match by Harlan Coben. Spoilers are between the 1:05 and 1:52 minute marks. We discuss how well Coben develops relationships between characters, how he pulls characters from other books and about the growth we see, especially from Wilde, throughout the book. We talk about whether or not we’ve ever used a DNA match site as well as our experiences with reality TV. We finish with our usual segments and have our first podcast within a podcast at one point. Enjoy!
This episode is dedicated to our friend Nern and Uncle Jesse, it features Gallant, the newest book from V.E. Schwab. Spoilers are between the 48-1:28 minute marks. We discuss the main character Olivia Prior as well as all the mysteries surrounding her and Gallant. We also talk about what possessions we have that are similar to Olivia’s mother’s diary as well as how much we appreciate Schwab’s writing. We finish with our usual segments and scoring. Enjoy!
This episode features Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. Spoilers are between the 54-1:46 marks. We spend a lot of time in spoilers because we didn’t want to give away the biggest mystery in the story and talk a lot about the different relationships that Taylor filled this world with. We also touch on what our godspawn powers would be and our own childhood versions of playing Tizerkane. Enjoy!
This episode features The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker. Spoilers are between the 1 hour and 1:42 minute marks. We had a lot of issues with this book, and discuss them throughout the podcast. We remind you that we are not authors, so please take this criticism with a grain of salt! We also discuss characters from other books or shows that we think would be good or scary Yokai and finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
This episode features Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Spoilers are between the 1:03 and 1:48 minute marks. We discuss the format of the book and how well all the different characters lives are weaved throughout it. We also discuss what we would miss most about life if we survived the Georgian Flu with Kirsten as well as some of the differences between the book and show during our spoilers within spoilers’ section.
This episode we cover Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. Spoilers are between the 1:03 and 1:48 minute marks. We discuss the characters, the setting and the emotions of this book at length. We also discuss what flavor of tea Hugo would serve to us and why, and finish with our usual segments.
A note from the beginning of the book from the author that we wanted to pass along here as well is that "this story explores life and love as well as loss and grief. There are discussions of death in different forms – quiet, unexpected, and death by suicide." So please listen with care.
Featuring the fantasy fairy tale Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, spoilers are long this episode, between the 55-1:54 minute marks, as there are a lot of puzzle pieces to fit together in this story. We also discuss the strong female characters in this book, what movies or fairy tales we wanted to live in as children and finish with our usual segments. Enjoy!
The one where we feature The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner. Spoilers are between 1:04-1:48. We discuss how Waggoner's writing created an immersive world for us, especially with her characters and the language they used. We also touch on different twists and turns that we thought were coming but didn't necessarily. We have our usual segments and random recommendation, we hope you enjoy, what?
We feature the sci-fi classic Foundation by Isaac Asimov. No spoiler section as we go through each short story with a quick overview and then a question or two about them. We also draw some connections between the Galactic Empire of Foundation to the world in the 1940's when Asimov wrote this as well as to the world we live in today. We also talk about how sci-fi can be used to shine a light on todays culture, even if it was written 80 years ago! We also get a fired up Taja at one point so keep an ear out for that! Enjoy!
We go all in on April May and friends as we cover An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. Spoilers are between the 1:05-1:46 marks. We discuss April's rise to fame, how she handles it and other correlations between this book and our world. Also we discuss the way the book was written and presented and how that affected our reading. We discuss our own brushes with fame, as well as the usual quick host catch up and shout out to our listeners in Australia!! Enjoy!
We deep dive Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo with spoilers between 1:04 and 1:46. We spend a lot of time on the backstory and setting on this book. We talk about the confusion we felt when trying to remember the different houses and timelines as well as which twists we saw coming and which ones we did not. We have things we missed from previous episodes, random recommendation and the first tears of the podcast are shed as we share ghost stories. Enjoy!
We feature People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. Spoilers are between the 54 and 1:50 minute marks. We discuss love, friendship, putting yourself out there and the importance of communication as well as travel and some of our experiences. First ever book club within a book club happens during current selection and then Russ gets heated talking about his latest read! Enjoy!
We feature The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. Spoilers are between 1:04-1:54. We have a quick host catch up before we jump into the book. Then we discuss the book and different meanings we found within it about spaces between worlds as well as different choices/chances that could have led our lives on very different paths. We finish with our DnD based score for the book, current selection and random recommendation. Enjoy!
We feature The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and are almost brought to tears! We discuss how Klune uses the events and story of this fantasy world in order to shine a light on issues in ours. We also discuss the ideas of found family and home. Spoilers are between the 1:12 and 1:51 marks. We also have a triumphant first on the podcast in relation to this book so be sure to listen!
We do a deep dive into the science fiction masterpiece Dune by Frank Herbert. Spoilers are from the 1:01 to 1:50 mark. We have a special shoutout this episode and also debut a new segment after spoilers! We also talk about some dreams and premonitions as we cover this classic!
This episode we focus on The Regulators by Richard Bachman (get into book discussion around the 20th minute). Spoilers are between the 1:05-1:58 mark. We also discuss Bachman's relationship with another famous author and his story as well. We cap it off with current selection, random recommendation, our DnD scores for the book and a preview of which book will be featured next!
In episode 8 we highlight WIN, the latest book by Harlan Coben. Because it is a mystery/thriller and Coben is a man of many twists and turns, spoilers run long in this episode from the 43:00 to the 96:00 minute marks. Apart from the book we also discuss our minimal experiences in high class living, get more in depth with our grading system, talk about what other books we've been reading and get some input from the third podcast member Bryce (the dog). Enjoy!
In Episode 7 we do a deep dive into the first book of the Dresden Files; Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Spoilers are between the 1:05-1:35 mark. We have host catchup, the importance of names, a deeper dive into the books we've been reading and even take the time to improvise a potion similarly to how Harry would in the book! This one's a bit longer than normal, but we hope you enjoy it!
We cover Gork, The Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson on the show. It's a bit chaotic and all over the place, but stick with us; even through spoilers! We have a first in our grading system this week that you surely don't want to miss and stay to the end to find out which book we will cover next!
We discuss Kristin Lambert's debut YA novel The Boy in the Red Dress with spoilers between the 55th and 88th minute. We've been gone a month, so there's a lot to catch up on in the beginning of the show and plenty of stories throughout! Stick around for the end to see how this book did in our second attempt at our grading system and to learn which book we will feature next!
We discuss Andy Weir's latest book Project Hail Mary with spoilers between the 50th and 88th minute. We also unveil our new book grading system, have our first call-in "expert" and an added surprise to start the show off! We're a bit tipsy from the start, so enjoy the conversation!
This episode we dive into the Grishaverse with Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. We discuss which Grisha powers we would have, talk a bit of YA romance and discuss being accepted by others. Quick animal topic in the beginning and a few side tracks we hope you'll come along with us on! Enjoy the show and keep reading!
In episode 2 we delve into The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and discuss different topics based on the book about being remembered, leaving a legacy and what it would take to sell your soul! Spoilers from the 49 minute mark to 1 hour 10 mark! Come listen with us as we discuss this incredible book!
In the first episode of our podcast we touch on A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist and introduce ourselves to you the audience! Come listen to two friends catch up and discuss a book together! We hope you'll join us!
Short intro episode to let you know how the Adult Book Club works, some of its history and the layout of our episodes. Meant as an introductory episode for those who have stumbled upon us. Welcome, and Enjoy!
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.