Busy Girls Book Club

A memoir on a queer abusive relationship might not sound like a must read, but Carmen Maria Machado's "In the Dream House" takes a poetic approach to realizing she's being abused and overcoming her situation. The Busy Girls talk about this interesting take on a memoir and why it's a must read.

"The Jasad Heir" has a lot of classic fantasy tropes but takes place in a setting more akin to Egypt. It's a fresh setting and focused heavily on kingdom politics. Plus, it's a grumpy-grumpy main character mashup.

"Open Water" is a sort of lyrical narrative that talks about the Black experience. The poetry aspect can be a bit hard to get into, but the book is short. Does it make it worth the read?

Celebrity memoirs are a tough one to discuss. Should every celebrity have one? Should editors be kind because they're famous? Prince Harry's "Spare" gives the Busy Girls a lot to discuss.

The Busy Girls are joined by Lauren Puckett-Pope, staff culture writer at ELLE, to hear about how she chooses which books to cover for the magazine and her watchlist for 2024.  Books summary: https://www.busygirlspod.com/post/special-guest-elle-staff-culture-writer-lauren-puckett-pope-makes-her-book-recommendations-for-2024 Lauren's bio: https://www.elle.com/author/223910/lauren-puckett/ 2024 Fict...

Your resident SJM stans have a lot to process after the release of Crescent City 3: "House of Flame and Shadow." Do we still love her books? Yes. Was this her finest work? Listen and find out.

Katelyn's sister joins the Busy Girls to talk Throne of Glass' "Assassin's Blade" and where the short story compilation should fit into the series.

In one of the most polarizing episodes yet, the Busy Girls discuss TikTok sensation "Bunny" with the help of a special guest. This is new age horror, but does it deliver what it sells?

If you love a whimsical tale of adventure into the realm of fae but are tired of the same cookie cutter fantasy we've been getting, Heather Fawcett brings a breath of fresh air with "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries." Jane Austen lovers will enjoy this fantasy with a historical fiction tone and some dark academia thrown in.

The sequel to Rebecca Ross' "Divine Rivals" picks right back up in "Ruthless Vows." The end to the YA duology has been long awaited, but mostly by adult readers. Does the wartime romance strike the right note in the end?

The Busy Girls love a good enemies to lovers fantasy novel with a dark brooding MMC and a sassy FMC. Does "The Hurricane Wars" qualify? Or is it just some Star Wars fanfic?

V.E. Schwab turns what you think will be a cautionary tale into one of personal growth and resilience in this tale about making a deal with the devil. "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" continues to be highly reviewed, so the Busy Girls finally give it a go.

It's Sarah J. Maas part...??? We lost track. If you're still with us, Queen of Shadows is a huge turning point in the Throne of Glass series. The books keep getting longer and the plots multiply, so there's a lot to discuss.

It's that time! We take a look back at the best, worst, most overhyped, prettiest, etc. books we've read all year. AND we choose a Busy Girls Book of the Year. Thank you for a great 2023 and we can't wait for 2024!

Every millennial was caught in the throes of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. Now, a prequel to the series has been turned into a movie. So, if you're the kind of person who needs to read the book before seeing the movie, is it worth picking up "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?" The Busy Girls do not agree on this one.

Brandon Sanderson has millions of fans, and it feels like nearly that many books. The Busy Girls dive into his Cosmere with cozy fairytale "Tress of the Emerald Sea." Does it live up to the hype from the fandom?

THIS WHOLE EPISODE IS SPOILERS. Let's hear it for the TikTok girlies and their collective brain power. The Busy Girls are going to bring you BookTok like you've never seen it. Rebecca Yarros left us with too many questions at the end of Iron Flame, so time to figure it out. TikToks: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8D1jNDL/ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8D1XV1U/ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8DFcvLx/ https://...

If you haven't read "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros, you probably live under a rock. Book two is here, and *oh boy* do the Busy Girls have a lot to discuss. Holy cliffhanger.

In the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, it's the third book that really gets things going. The world gets so much bigger in "Heir of Fire" and new characters are introduced. Is this the best one in the series?

So many trigger warnings. "A Little Life" is the Busy Girls' most anticipated episode - mostly because it's been nearly a year in the making. It's a beast of a book to tackle. So, is over 800 pages of complex trauma worth it?

Lauren J.A. Bear's debut novel is a doozy. "Medusa's Sisters" is a unique - and graphic - retelling of the Greek myth of gorgon Medusa, told from the perspective of her two sisters. Hold on tight for this one.

We are back to Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series with "Crown of Midnight," book two in the tale. It's pretty much a two-book set up to the rest of the series, so is it worth it to be stuck in the prologue so long?

It's the Spooky Season 2023 finale! The Busy Girls are joined by Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast host Avery Coffey to discuss themes of Black Horror in Victor LaValle's "Lone Women." Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/unbound-rewound-horror-podcast/id1618711401 @urhorrorpodcast 

Jessica Knoll's "Bright Young Women" is a fictional story based on the Ted Bundy case. While his name is never used in the story, other true pieces of information from the case are. So is Knoll really reclaiming the story of the victims? The Busy Girls are split.

Trigger warnings x1,000. This book is about the meat industry - if the only edible meat were other people. While the thematic writing of this book is genius, it WILL leave you feeling sick to the stomach. So is it worth the read? Will you need therapy? This might be the best Busy Girls discussion to date.