Designated Reading Buddies

It’s spooky season! Join us for our October pick, “Wicked Is The Hollow” by K.E. Ganshert.

Beatrice Prior has always struggled to fit the mold of her Faction, Abnegation. She has always been braver than kids her age, and has always thought differently than what is expected from someone in her Faction. When given the choice to change her fate and Faction, will Beatrice make the right decisions for herself and her family?

Elspeth and The Knightmare in her head have one thing in common, a better world for their little town of Blunder. Join us as we talk about Kaitlin’s September pick, Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

Margo’s Freshman college plans didn’t include having an affair with her English professor and certainly not getting pregnant with his child. As a single mom, college drop out and now jobless, Margo has gotta figure out her money troubles. Join us as we talk about Kaitlin’s August pick “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” by Rufie Thorpe.

January Andrews was already on the struggle bus and severely lacking the motivation to start her new romance novel when life decided to throw her another curveball - her father passing away and learning secrets about him she never wanted to know. In the efforts to put that chapter behind her, January moves into her father's cabin to prepare it for sale ... little did she know her college rival...

Mya is a successful political advisor and works well under pressure. But what about when it comes to working with her boy band crush in launching his solo career? Will she be able to maintain her professionalism? As they always say, never mix business with pleasure. Join us as we chat about our May pick, Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff.

A man who makes a deal with the devil to get extra days of life after finding out he only has months to live. The catch…. For every day he gets he has to choose one thing to disappear from the world. Join us as we chat about our April pick If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura.

1984, NASA, Love. Joan is a woman trying to get into a NASA space program while figuring out family and love. Join us as we chat about Alex’s March pick, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

You have one chance to have dinner with 5 people alive or dead. Who would you choose? Join us as we chat about Kaitlin’s March pick, “The Dinner List” by Rebecca Serle.

Fake dating? ✔️Steamy scenes? ✔️Fun banter? ✔️Join us as we talk about Alex’s February pick “Hoax and Kisses” by Elodie Colliard

As a single mom Lucie Stone has put her love life on the back burner. But when her twelve year old daughter has conveniently intervened by calling into Heartstrings, Baltimore’s dating hotline, Lucie decides to take a chance at finding love. Join us as we chat about Kaitlin’s February pick, “First-Time Caller” by B.K. Borison.

Katarina Shaw has one goal in mind: to become a Gold Medalist in the Olympics for the US Ice Skating team… no matter what it takes. Join us as we discuss our first book of 2026, “The Favorites” by Layne Fargo. 

Happy Holidays! We’re wrapping up 2025 with a cozy romance “The Christmas Tree Farm” by Laurie Gilmore.

Join us as we chat about our November pick, Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross, a Divine Rivals prequel. 

Wrap up spooky season with Alex’s October pick “Bunny” by Mona Awad.

Cozy season is officially in full swing! Join us as we chat about Kaitlin’s October pick “If It Makes You Happy” by Julie Olivia.

Join Alex and Kaitlin as they chat about the last installment of the Powerless trilogy “Fearless” by Lauren Roberts.

Life for Ari is already messy and adding a serious relationship into her life is out of the question. But of course, life has thrown Ari a Josh sized curveball. The moody chef who is searching for his one true love. Join us as we chat about Katilin’s pick, “You, Again” by Kate Goldbeck. 

Another book to add to our Hunger Games obsession, sign us up! In this episode, Kaitlin and Alex discuss Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins, a Hunger Games prequel that dives into Haymitch Abernathy’s time as a tribute.

Evelyne has lived a thousand different lives, and in each life she begins to remember fragments from her past. There’s one person in each lifetime that always comes back to Evelyne, Arden, her one true love and enemy. Cursed to kill each other before their eighteenth birthdays. Join us as we chat about Kaitlin’s August pick, “Our Infinite Fates” by Laura Steven.

Sadie Wen has her whole life planned out, graduating at the top of her class, attending only the best ivy league college and work in a career that will financially support her family. There's only one thing standing in her way, her academic nemesis, Julius Gong who is just as smart as her and annoyingly perfect at everything he does. A coming of age story filled with snark and cringe. Join us...

Evie has always been a dutiful person and very rarely causes anyone trouble. With her father sick and her sister still young, it’s up to Evie to financially support her family. So when she loses her recent job, she’s desperate enough to take any job no matter how terrible the working conditions may be. As luck would have it, she quite literally runs into the village's local villain who takes p...

In the small town of Jasper, North Carolina the Farrow women have always kept the locals busy with gossip. “Those odd women and their sickness” “I bet they’re witches” “they were sent to Jasper to curse us all.” While not all of the rumors are true, the locals are correct about a few of them, and June Farrow plans to be the end of the rumors and generational trauma. But what will it cost her? Join...

Team Conrad! Alex and Kaitlin are super excited for the 3rd and final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” so to kickstart the summer, we decided to yap all about the show and the books.

Poppy has always known that she is “the weird girl”. She wears clothes that were not from her time, sometimes says her inner thoughts out loud, and generally enjoys life by always finding the positives in any situation. Alex, her best friend, is the complete opposite, in fact, they have only a few things in common. But you know what they say, opposites attract. Join us as we discuss Alex’s May pic...