Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club

This week, Danielle is joined by Alex Aster, the prolific, Romantasy Queen of Booktok. Coming out of 2025, in which she published four novels, Alex is back with Starside, her first foray into adult fiction – and, later this year, Barbie: Dreamscape, a YA retelling of the beloved Mattel doll. Alex and Danielle talk perseverance in publishing, the power of storytelling, and which romantasy tropes give Alex the ick (spoiler: hardly any of them do).
BOOKS MENTIONED:
A Guide to Literary Agents by Robert Lee Brewer
Lightlark Series by Alex Aster
Starside by Alex Aster
Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster
Curse of the Forgotten City by Alex Aster
Summer in the City by Alex Aster
Barbie Dreamscape by Alex Aster

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On this week’s episode, Danielle sits down with Rufi Thorpe, the author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles, the wildly original novel that’s now been adapted into a highly anticipated Apple TV+ series. They talk about the chaos and comedy of motherhood, the reality of being in your twenties with no roadmap, and the power of choosing your own path even when it makes people uncomfortable. Plus, Rufi reveals her delightfully messy writing habits and gives some fun BTS details from the show.

BOOKS MENTIONED:
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
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This week, Danielle is hanging out in an icon’s closet. And not just any icon – Lisa F*cking Rinna. Fresh off her book tour for her new memoir, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It, Lisa is here and ready to show up as her full self – silly, joyful and growing — always growing! Lisa takes Danielle behind the scenes of writing her memoir, deep dives into some juuuicy Real Housewives drama – and even devises a little acting role for herself, should, you know, the opportunity arise.

BOOKS MENTIONED:
You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It by Lisa Rinna
Pretty Mess by Ericka Jayne
Believe Me by Yolanda Hadid
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This week, we’re talking with author (and puzzle entrepreneur) Rachel Hochhauser about the March Reese’s Book Club Pick, Lady Tremaine. It’s not just a re-telling of Cinderella — it’s an un-telling that dares to ask: what if the wicked stepmother wasn’t wicked … but a mom trying her best to provide for her children? And what if a marriage isn’t a happily ever after … but the beginning of a whole new story? Danielle and Rachel talk puzzle-solving strategies, falconry, and decentering men and romance in women’s stories. You may think you know the story of Cinderella, but you’ve never read it like this.
BOOKS MENTIONED:
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
Cinderella by Charles Perrault
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault
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This week, we’re time traveling with Philippa Gregory, prolific author and feminist historian (and maybe Danielle’s new bestie???). Philippa is the woman behind over 50 historical fiction novels that trace narratives across Medieval and Tudor England, including The Other Boleyn Girl, which was adapted into a film starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Her latest novel, The Boleyn Traitor, follows the infamous Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law, Jane Boleyn, through her life as a spy in the English court. And this story, as so many of Philippa Gregory's do, brings a complicated, sometimes unlikeable, largely forgotten woman to the forefront. Because Philippa doesn’t really trust pure, pious women. She’s drawn instead to the truth – that women in from history are just as layered and diverse as we are today.
BOOKS MENTIONED:
The Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory
Wild Acre by Philippa Gregory
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Richard III by William Shakespeare
This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart England by Nandini Das
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Little Grey Rabbit by Alison Uttley
The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer
Ulysses by James Joyce
Mine Own Executioner by Nigel Balchin
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