Besties and the Books Podcast

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“Finish the bucket, or get the box!” 
At this point most of you are fully aware of what you’re getting into with this series, so let us officially induct you into our den of Howlers. Just remember two things: “Omnis Vir Lupus 🐺🤘,” and “sh*t escalates.” Because there ain’t nothin’ Pierce Brown has written thus far to indicate that the next four books will bring us anything other than chaos and pain, yet here we stay. Wolf cloaks on, loyal until the end.
We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. We discuss who has historically defined and dominated the genre, its subsequent evolution, and how our newest deep dive obsession, the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown fits into it all. Next, we covered books one and two in detail and have officially concluded that this series is indeed, everything you all told us it would be…and MORE. The twists, the turns, the betrayal, the action, the political subterfuge (and everything else!) have fully consumed us and quite frankly, we’re terrified to see what lies in wait. 
Today we’re diving into book three: Morning Star, the official conclusion to the original trilogy. The rebel alliance is growing with the resurrection of the Red’s “messiah” and we find out who truly wants The Society destroyed, and who will fight to the death to maintain it. With big changes and transfers of power who will step in to create order from chaos? And will it be possible to do so in a way that honors revolution and freedom? We can only examine the implications of real or imagined technology and science on society thoroughly, critically, and responsibly through an intersectional lens. Is Pierce Brown doing this responsibly while also keeping us entertained? 
We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. All of our characters are constantly evolving and now we’re prepared to look ten years ahead to what they’ve created through all of this destruction… Was it worth it? 
Next week we’ll begin our coverage of the second plot arc which commences ten years after the conclusion of Morning Star with book four: Iron Gold. And something tells us that even though we feel ready, we’re nowhere near prepared. 
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)
Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com
Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️
Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 
https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ
Check out these author interviews? ⬇️
Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb
We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4
Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE
Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B
____
Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:
Ashley is wearing:  “Read Books Stay Weird” Tee by @Shopwildeshadows | https://www.wildeshadows.com 
 Liz is wearing: Feminine Rage Crewneck by @darkanddisturbedshop | Code: VEGAN10 | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/rage-crewneck?_pos=2&_sid=e99454f0a&_ss=r
Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!
LOTL: Queer Conversation
We all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the show
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail
Time to deep dive CJ Leede's newest horror book, Headlights!
You want horror, we gave you horror. You want horror, give you horror. Ask for horror, you got horror! You asked for horror, you got it! We’re even! We’re even, besties! We don’t know what more you want from us! (IYKYK! 😜🍪)
Here’s the thing… you said you wanted us to cover more spooky books, so we present to you our first foray into the horror genre - don’t say we never warned you. We know that we’re a “summerween” fam over here, so we hope to set the tone for the rest of the season as we make our way through sci-fi summer and officially into spooky season with the perfect segue. Today we’re doing our official deep dive follow up episode to our interview with C.J. Leede, our most favorite horror author and the insanely talented mind behind Maeve Fly, American Rapture, and now, Headlights. 
Buckle up for a wild ride because Headlights has everything. Cannibalism (not accidental), cryptids, ecoterrorism, Colorado lore, skin suits, different dimensions, paranormal entities, cults, and lots and lots of good old fashioned trauma. It has a love story expertly woven into a true crime-esque detective whodunit serial killer hunt through the classic Colorado landscape à la The Shining, with a spooky John Denver soundtrack (highly recommend playing his greatest hits while you read this book). So we humbly ask… what more could you possibly want out of a story that’s meant to shock you, terrify you, and get you thinking about some scary topics that otherwise may never cross your radar?
We cover all the classics like our spoiler free star and spice ratings, the “Five Sentence Summary™,” likes and dislikes, reviews, audiobook quality, and horror themes, with some added incite into what about it scares us, how C.J. Leede uses specific literary devices to achieve that kind of tension, and how horror is often used to critique real world problems. 
All this and a fave and fail indie bookstore shoutout edition, and a spooky cryptid style smash or pass! 
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)
Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com
Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️
Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 
https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ
Check out these author interviews? ⬇️
CJ Leede talks all things Horror! | https://youtu.be/jb0DW2ap3Ds?si=0mDOcOfQuBrTPp0l
Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb
We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4
Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE
____
Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:
Ashley is wearing: A custom Impressive Wingspan tshirt from @DownTheBondofficial | Use Code: BestiesandtheBooks for 15% | https://www.downthebond.com=
Liz is wearing: An Estes Park Sweater she picked up on a trip to Colorado.
Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!
LOTL: Queer Conversation
We all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the show
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail
Listen closely, my goodman, Golden Son ruined our bloody damn lives… and we’re here to fill you in on the heartbreak. ☄️
We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. We discuss who has historically defined and dominated the genre, its subsequent evolution, and how our newest deep dive obsession, the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown fits into it all. Next, we covered book one to see if it lives up to the hype you all have given it. And boy howdy did it exceed our expectations. 
Today we’re diving into book two: Golden Son. We’re out of The Institute and tossed into the “real world,” unforgiving and brutal as it is. We’re watching The Rising build and The Society break down (not unlike our main character Darrow) in real time, and the stress… is all-consuming (to put it mildly). We can only examine the implications of real or imagined technology and science on society thoroughly, critically, and responsibly through an intersectional lens. Is Pierce Brown doing this responsibly while also keeping us entertained? 
We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. It might be time to bust out the Cryometer™ because no one is safe in this brutal world and we fear the stakes are only going to get higher. 
Next week we will be covering the “conclusion” to the original trilogy with Morning Star but don’t worry, after that we will continue on with the next three…and finish one day with Red God!
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)
Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com
Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️
Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 
https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ
Check out these author interviews? ⬇️
Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb
We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4
Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE
Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B
____
Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:
Ashley is wearing: A custom Impressive Wingspan tshirt from @DownTheBondofficial | Use Code: BestiesandtheBooks for 15% | https://www.downthebond.com
Liz is wearing: an Aedion hoodie from @thebeanworkshop | use our affiliate code “BOOKBESTIES10”)  | * https://www.thebeanworkshop.store/BOOKBESTIES10 
Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!
LOTL: Queer Conversation
We all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the show
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail
Today we’re bringing you an entirely spoiler free fun bestie chat with the Queen of bookish comedy: Jess @thelostbooksofjess and the host of the podcast  ⁨@fantasyfanreadspod⁩ ! Jess’s hilarious reels, polls, and character boards introduced us to her bookstagram years ago, and here we are today yapping about unpopular bookish opinions and pet peeves, ready to get the people goin’!

Get to know Jess, the person behind the bookish account and podcast. How did she get started? What are the books that made her? We ask her all about her favorite reads so far this year, her most anticipated release of the fall, what she thinks is the most underrated book series, and what her favorite content to create is. The answers might surprise you!

Then we move into the unpopular opinions section with ideas like: “romance doesn’t need to have a happily ever after,” and “yes, you CAN like the movie better than the book!” And just when you thought you were safe, we bring you our bookish pet peeves, making it known to the community that we just can’t stand more than one epilogue at the end of a book, and useless dust jackets with no summary are the worst!

Stick around for even more unpopular opinions and pet peeves we’ll have all of you vote on, plus an on-the-spot eff, marry, 🔪featuring some of Jess’s most beloved MMCs, tailor made just for her.

@TheLostBooksofJess
https://www.instagram.com/thelostbooksofjess/?hl=en

@fantasyFanReads
https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@fantasyfanreadspod⁩ 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)

Shop our Merch line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com

Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️

Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!
https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4

Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE

Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B

____

Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: Our BATB Flying on Vibes Crop tee | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com/products/cropped-flying-on-vibes-t-shirt

Liz is wearing:”This is the Skin of a Reader” crop tee by @shadowboundspines | https://shadowboundspines.com/products/skin-of-a-reader-bella-organic-rib-baby-tee

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!
LOTL: Queer Conversation
We all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the show
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Send us Fan Mail
Sci-Fi Summer is here in full force, boyo! Are you prime? 🤘🐺
Earlier this week we brought you a full-length episode introducing our summer bonus series covering Red Rising by Pierce Brown! A long anticipated request from you, our listeners, to join a passionate science fiction fandom… of a book series written by a man. And we had to be honest with you - we were more than a little bit apprehensive. Do we even like sci-fi? Would we understand it or get too caught up in the jargon and lose the plot? Does Pierce Brown write romance and female characters in a responsible and relatable way?
We identified and faced our internalized biases, did the research into why science fiction has historically been written for and by white men but remade and challenged by women, people of color, non-binary folks and many others who truly understand the assignment. We can only examine the implications of real or imagined technology and science on society thoroughly, critically, and responsibly through an intersectional lens. After that, everything changed. 
We realized… sci-fi is very similar to fantasy and we actually consume and love a lot of it but as women we’ve been conditioned not to. And that does a disservice to everyone (*cough* but the machine *cough*). We’re rethinking everything and asking ourselves another iteration of the Romantasy question: does categorizing feminist science fiction separately from general sci-fi help us or hurt us? 🤔
We dove into Red Rising book one with open minds, ready to bring you our true reviews, opinions and criticisms. And here they are, convincing you to read along with us as we move through this incredible series. We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. Get ready for a turbulent, emotional ride through hyperspace, ‘cuz we’re just getting started.
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)
Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com
Check out these narrator interviews? ⬇️
Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger! 
https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ
Check out these author interviews? ⬇️
Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb
We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4
Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE
Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B
____
Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing:

Ashley is wearing: The Last Bookstore sweater from @TheLastBookstore in LA 
Liz is wearing: a cute Raglan Style Dragon tee
Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!
LOTL: Queer Conversation
We all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the show
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix