Can I Bring My Book

This week your book besties are completely obsessed with Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry. After putting it off for months, we finally picked it up... and immediately wanted book two. We break down the biggest twists (without spoiling everything), compare it to Fourth Wing, Quicksilver, and ACOTAR, debate who the real villain might be, and share our completely unhinged dragon theories. Then we t...

This week your book besties celebrate Amanda's birthday by diving into Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy. And, let's just say we did not have the same reading experience. Amanda fell for the Nantucket setting, second-chance romance, and emotional family dynamics, while Kat couldn't get past the miscommunication, immature characters, and the "Gilmore Girls meets Jane Austen" comparison. We deba...

This week your book besties are diving into Tropesick by Lauren Okie, a romance built around every trope imaginable. Did it work? Well... let's just say Amanda and Kat didn't exactly have the same reading experience. We discuss grief, second chances, childhood friends-to-lovers, ghostwriting, magical realism (or was it?), and whether a book can become a victim of its own premise. Along the way, Ka...

This week your book besties are diving into Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver, the second installment in the Cape Carnage series. And, we have thoughts. Lots of thoughts! We discuss shocking reveals, serial killer theories, Arthur's fate, Harper and Nolan's relationship, and whether that ending was genuinely shocking or just frustrating. Along the way, we speculate about who might secretly be a murd...

Your book besties are back, and this week we're discussing a book that asks an important question: What happens when the high-achieving ad executive who's built his entire identity around success suddenly... opts out? This week's Buddy Read Chat is Alan Opts Out by Courtney Maum, a sharp, funny satire about consumerism, ambition, family, status, and what really matters when life doesn't go accordi...

This week, your book besties are wrapping up The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker, and we have thoughts. We're talking favorite characters, heartbreaking moments, confusing plot twists, dragon lore, family trees, theories for book three, and the many questions we're still trying to untangle. Plus, we discuss whether this series is best experienced in audio, ebook, or physical format, a...

Your book besties are back and this week we’re diving into dragons, moon shards, complicated fantasy politics… and one VERY spicy river scene. We’re talking theories, cliffhangers, emotional support dragons, confusing timelines, and why fantasy books apparently require a glossary, a map, and a support group. And because this book is approximately the size of a small weapon, we’re splitting this Bu...

Your book besties are back and this week we’re diving into messy families, beach houses, sister dynamics, and one fictional mother that we absolutely could not stand. We’re talking time jumps, family trauma, pacing issues, and whether The May House really needed to be quite that long… plus book-to-screen adaptations, upcoming releases, and romance tropes we would absolutely not survive in real lif...

Your book besties are back and this week we’re talking about cryptid romance, queer representation, emotional sea monsters… and whatever the hell was happening with Skate God. So yeah... Things got weird. Buddy Read Chat Mothman Is My Boyfriend by McKayla Coyle Mothman Is My Daddy bonus novella This week we’re talking: cryptid romance as a genre (apparently this is our life now) our favorite and l...

Your book besties are back and this week we’re talking about a book that wrecked us emotionally… but, like, in a meaningful way. This week’s Buddy Read Chat dives into We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune- a quieter, deeply emotional end-of-the-world story about love, grief, humanity, and what matters most when time is running out. And somehow… there are still hippies, flower crowns, and edible-fueled...

Your book besties are back and this week we’ve got a five-star buddy read that completely surprised us- plus cozy reads, new releases, and some very chaotic bookish news. Buddy Read Chat Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth This week we’re talking: a story that’s not what you think it is found family, second chances, and loneliness past vs. present timelines that actually work and a main character we fully...

We didn’t plan for this to be a Hump Day episode… but after this book, it kind of had to be. Your book besties are back… just a day late 😅 Kat was down for the count this week, but we’re back with a very special (and very fitting) Hump Day edition and, honestly... after this buddy read… it feels appropriate. Buddy Read Chat The Auction by Sadie Kincaid This week we’re talking: Beauty and the Beas...

Your book besties are back and this week we’re diving into a buddy read that had us… thinking, questioning, and maybe wanting just a little bit more. From cruise ship chaos and 90s boy band energy to character growth, pacing issues, and “is this a romance or not?” — we’re breaking down all our thoughts. And then… we get into it. New releases, bookish trends, and some real conversations about what’...

Your book besties are back and this week we’ve got a little bit of everything- a spicy Buddy Read Chat, and some very strong opinions about plot vs. smut. What We’ve Been Reading Right Number, Wrong Man by I.M. Wraith Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson Nero by S.J. Tilly The Astral Library by Kate Quinn So Happy Together by Olivia Worley The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst Buddy Read Chat Game On...

Your book besties are back and this week we’re diving into a buddy read that gave us feelings… and also sparked a full-blown texting game. What We’ve Been Reading The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson The Astral Library by Kate Quinn So Happy Together by Olivia Worley Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given Buddy Read Chat The Night We Met by Abby J...

Your book besties are back, and this week we’ve got a little bit of everything for you! Current reads, a chaotic (and heartfelt) Buddy Read Chat, new releases, and some very strong opinions about what’s happening in the book world right now. What We’ve Been Reading We Need Your Art by Amee McNee Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson The Astral Library by Kate Quinn So Happy Together by Olivia Worley...

Your book besties are back this week with a brand new episode format (and, of course, plenty of opinions). This week, we’re sharing what we’ve been reading lately, diving into our first Buddy Read Chat (BRC) of the season, and catching up on new releases and bookish trends that have us feeling… some type of way. What We’ve Been Reading Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Julie Murphy & Sierra...

Your book besties are back with a deep dive into God of the Woods by Liz Moore- a twisty mystery packed with old money drama, missing children, and a whole lot of questionable family dynamics. In this episode, Kat and Amanda break down the layered story set around a summer camp for the ultra-wealthy, where the daughter of the family who owns the land disappears… echoing the earlier disappearance o...

It’s time for another Bestie Book Swap Extravaganza- because apparently, four books in one episode is our personality now. If you’re new here, Kat and Amanda do "bestie book swaps" where we each assign one book per month for the other to read.  In this round, we break down: Why we chose the books we did Whether we understood the assignment What surprised us (good and bad) How well we actually know...

This week, your book besties dive into Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy, and… whew. We have thoughts. Told from the perspective of 17-year-old Waldo, the novel follows her relationship with her much older, married teacher- and nothing about it is comfortable. Kat and Amanda unpack the audiobook experience (yes, we have narrator opinions), the pacing differences between audio and print, and whether...

This week on Can I Bring My Book, Kat and Amanda tackle a question that hits a little too close to home: do you actually owe a book your time once you’ve started it? What begins as advice for Amanda’s baby sister quickly turns into a full-on discussion about DNF shame, soft vs. hard DNFs, and the guilt that comes with quitting books- especially buddy reads, book club picks, and “you have to read t...

This week on Can I Bring My Book, Kat and Amanda lace up their skates (emotionally) and dive into Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid- the hockey romance that refuses to stay off all our feeds. With the book suddenly back in the spotlight thanks to the new HBO Max adaptation, we finally gave it a read… and then promptly spiraled.  Kat thought it was fine. Amanda had fun. But somewhere between locker roo...

In this week’s episode, your book besties step slightly outside the pages and into the wider bookish discourse, unpacking two timely and complicated conversations happening right now. We start with a recent controversy in the Bookstagram world, where a well-known niche account misstepped with a post about “immigrants in romance” that quickly spiraled into backlash, deleted comments, deleted posts,...

In this week’s episode, your book besties dive into The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig for a thoughtful, spoiler-filled buddy read discussion that goes way beyond first impressions. Note: this description and podcast episode both have spoilers! Kat and Amanda talk pacing struggles at the beginning, the moment the story finally clicks, and why this book ultimately won them over despite a slow...

In this episode, your book besties kick off the new year by talking book trends, reading predictions, and goals for the year ahead- with Kat showing up prepared (notes and all). We start by breaking down the biggest reading trends from 2025, including reading becoming more habitual, the continued rise of ebooks and audiobooks, peer-driven recommendations over bestseller lists, and the ongoing domi...