Bookstupid with Claire and Molly

That’s right, we’re talking about Ansel Elgort for at least five minutes again. And this time, we compare him to Nick Robinson, which we’re sure is flattering for him. We watched Voicemails for Isabelle and we can’t stop thinking about Mr. Robinson’s hand acting, or the concept of dessert nachos. Other topics covered this week: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, the Empire State Building engagement,...

We’re back, and Molly is cursing more than ever before. Your Bookstupid hosts are fresh off their longest stint apart since Claire studied abroad in college (did you know?? That she studied abroad??). In addition to a much needed catch up on our lives, Ali Hazelwood’s Not in Love x Problematic Summer Romance, Christina Lauren’s (but really Lauren’s) Love and Other Words, Widow’s Bay, and Every Yea...

If you’re reading this, former president of Fordham University Father McShane, we’re going to watch Fifty Shades of Grey. We know about s-e-x and we’re allowed to watch that movie. This week, we talk about the steamy scenes that inspire us, and we’re still figuring out what that means exactly. We also discuss Obsession, the newest season of Four Seasons, and weird dates we witnessed in the wild th...

If it seems like Claire is bursting with energy in this week’s episode, it’s because she can hardly wait another second to talk about the new season of her favorite Scandinavian horror show, The Chestnut Man. Also this week, we discuss the lifestyle movies that made us yearn for womanhood (The Devil Wears Prada), as well as a show that makes us sad about girlhood (The Testaments). Finally, we revi...

The state of our writing mirrors the state of our Union: bleak, bordering on hopeless. But we barely talk about the economy and AI in this episode, if you can believe it! Instead, we discuss the Off Campus tv adaptation, Molly’s cult-of-one classic LOL (starring Miley Cyrus and D’mi Moore), and Claire’s latest second chance romance Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan — in addition to workshopping our...

This week, we catch up after an eventful weekend that includes a James Patterson commencement speech, a trip down memory lane, a mostly sober viewing of The Devil Wears Prada 2, and the rescue of 1,500 beagles. Since we last met, Molly finished Rites of the Starling and Claire (finally) finished The Poisonwood Bible. Also this week, we tackle Claire’s favorite romance trope: airports and airplanes...

It’s game night! Much like the 76ers and the Knicks, Claire and Molly are facing off in a battle of grit, heart, and skill. That is, we are dusting off Joops’ dad’s friend’s game, Writer Blocks, and writing short stories against a prompt and a time limit. Tune in for this and a misandrist reading of Eternity, a hit job on (one of our favorite writers) Mindy Kaling via review of her (very good) sho...

Nasty people make the best friends and nasty people are smarter than everyone else. That’s one of many very nice takes we drop in this week’s episode, as we cover Grant Ginder’s So Old, So Young, The Drama, and Bigfoot the Musical. We also report from our time at the book lover’s hottest destination, BookCon. One more thing: could you please have some generosity for our basketball team?

Mars is in Aries and we’re embracing conflict— with everyone we’ve ever met and within our books. That’s right, we’re writing again, but ask us anything about it and we’ll clock you! This episode also includes a Spring weather report, a reverse HIPAA violation on Molly’s new therapist, a big announcement re: Claire’s reno, and our final reviews of Something Very Bad is Going to Happen and the Arte...

Let's get one thing out of the way: we're not talking about writing this week. What we are talking about this week: bunny brunch, childhood science experiments, glucose, Claire's period, Molly's romantic attachment to Jonathan Groff, Paradise, Harlan Coben and Dan Brown, and so much more. Plus, Molly makes sure that the Epstein files stay top of mind, while Claire reminds us once again about the i...

This episode is an interview with our first real guest (sorry to our previous guests, who are more so our friends)… Irish romance author extraordinaire, Catherine Walsh! Catherine shares her invaluable writing advice, inspiration, and encouragement. We also chat about her latest, How to Write a Love Story. It’s Molly’s favorite to date (sucker for an editor MMC) and Claire’s second favorite (toppe...

If you’re watching this episode and you think we’re being held hostage, put down the phone. We moved into a new Joop studio, and we brought our commentary on The Gift of the Magi with us. We’re back from Florida with the bee stings, sunburns, and good retirement vibes to prove it. We delve into what we consumed on our various plane rides. Molly read two new romantasies, Arcana Academy by Elise Kov...

This episode features Ireland as a silent third host. We read St. Patrick’s day short stories we’ve written, inspired by the Emerald Isle herself, and are generally pale and freckled. We show unbelievable restraint with accents, mostly deployed to mock the English. And, as always, we catch up on recent culture and content consumption, including the Traitors finale, Bridgerton part two, Square Wave...

First of all, head to YouTube to see Molly’s latest hat. She may be auditioning for the next season of White Lotus, or the next adaptation of Clueless. This week, we clock in on various casting announcements, including Beach Read and Every Year After. We also roast the hairstyling on Traitors and a troubling trend we’re noticing at boutique fitness classes. Finally, we workshop passages from our d...

Get ready to get your Heights Wuthered— we’re talking book AND movie. We’re also engaging in an experiential interpretation of the novel by being insane and finding romance on this, the 200th day of winter. Spoiler, Molly’s “most romantic” this week is a stranger reminding her to buckle her seatbelt. We also talk about Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, Pillion, Rob Rausch, and Claire...

At My Cottage, the MeUndies stay on. This week, we change our tune on Bridgerton after seeing the stairwell scene that would make even Belly Conklin blush. Molly recounts the plot of F1 while actively fighting her need to talk about Top Gun: Maverick. Finally, we review the Kindle Unlimited Valentine’s Day short story collection, which somehow includes two murders and two attempted murders.

Will you be our valentine? We wrote you romantic short stories! To round out the bouquet, we offer you incisive commentary on Bridgerton season 4 (first two eps), Finding Her Edge (up until the last 8 min), and Kate Alice Marshall’s What Lies in the Woods (at the halfway mark— but you’ll find that Molly correctly guesses it’s a Slenderman situation). If you decide to accept our valentine offer, yo...

We may not be women in STEM but that doesn’t mean we don’t know chemistry. This week, we briefly put down our hot chocolate to discuss what makes sparks fly off the page and workshop passages from our books. Also on the agenda: Luke and Lorelai, the Beast Games, and a review of Brooke Averick’s debut novel. Plus, we determine that Rob from Traitors has chemistry with…us? Claire wants everyone to k...

It’s the Heated Rivalry episode, you pervs! We’re talking about everyone’s favorite on-page, on-screen, on-ice romance. Our culture catch-up also touches on Tell Me Lies, His and Hers, Katherine Center’s Rom-Commers, and Audible’s full cast Harry Potter productions. And if you notice that Claire is blonder and more starry eyed than usual, it’s because she recently paid a visit to one of the great...

Season 2 is here and we’re kicking off with an in-depth exploration of the movie adaptation of Molly’s least favorite Emily Henry novel, People We Meet on Vacation. One thing’s for sure: that’s not Linfield, Ohio. We also talk about our holidays, which included talking to inanimate objects and consuming large helpings of media in a fugue state. Maybe next week Molly will crack The Da Vinci Code or...

We’re finishing our first season strong, meaning we didn’t finish our books but Molly met Xaden and Claire met a new pen pal. In this episode, Molly slips back into Fourth Wing psychosis and Claire is drinking the Heated Rivalry Kool-Aid. We also look back on our first season of Bookstupid and the many trips we took to Best Buy this year. Finally, we put the team behind the pod, producer Joops and...

The lawyer becomes the defendant as Molly commits multiple offenses at puppy play class. Claire is also in the doghouse with the witch who put a curse on her. Will true love’s kiss make her keys come back? Also this week, we discuss Netflix’s The Beast in Me and argue about whether Redemption Babies™️should be allowed to be boys. We also argue over whether boys should be allowed to have secrets as...

The Climate Clock is on, and we’re racing to write our novels. You may not be getting them by end of year (EOY for my stupidheads with jobs,) but we are pinning down a key element this episode: what is the main character’s deal? You’ll also get a full NYC weather report and Die My Love / Sexy Scaries recaps sure to ruin your week.

We recap a Halloweekend with high highs and low lows, including a crosswalk miracle, a generational witch’s brew, and an iPhone in a trash chute. Claire gets into the spooky spirit with the newest Ryan Murphy production about Ed Gein, while Molly seeks sunnier weather in Miami with a rewatch of Do Revenge. Turns out she loves pastels. We also indulge in a TED Talk about life and writing from autho...

This week, we grappled with writing inner monologue— a challenge for two women who voice essentially every thought we have. We also cover Claire’s recent bout with scarlet fever (a harbinger of Christmas) and Molly’s time on the birthday circuit. Looking for closure on Claire’s watch of Task? You’re in luck. Hope to understand it? Sorry!