Checked Out and Overdue

Today's Tuesday Tale takes us on an adventure far, far away... to Taryn's friend's house.  After being invited to play Dungeons and Dragons with her coworkers, Taryn was tasked with creating her own character. Naturally, she turned to the only person she could trust in a matter such as this, her co-host and best friend, Chelsea. Together, they made their way through the Dungeons and Dragons P...

It is pretty special when three different people fall in love with the same book. T.J. Klune manages to weave a practically perfect tale in his 2020 book, The House in the Cerulean Sea. Following a caseworker for magical children sent on a potentially dangerous assignment, this book brings you face to face with prejudice and fear while also showing you the joy and growth that comes from acceptance...

Most people had that one English teacher who got really into poetry. Like, REALLY into it. Well, today their poetry-loving hearts will be glad to know that our hosts are voluntarily reading poems.  Join Chelsea and Taryn for this week's Tuesday Tales as they attempt to remember everything they learned in their high school ELA class, and try to figure out how to read poetry out loud without so...

The unsolved Ripper cases of 1888 continue to intrigue many true crime fans today. But what if the killings were more than just killings? In Stalking Jack the Ripper, Kerri Maniscalco gives us an inventive new way of telling the original gruesome story. Join hosts Chelsea and Taryn as they discuss the relationship of the main characters, Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell, the adventure of London in...

Happy Birthday, Harry! The Harry Potter series is one of the first book series that Chelsea and Taryn bonded over. They are both very proud Hufflepuffs, know way too much about obscure wizarding world details, and every year they get way too excited about a fictional character's birthday. To celebrate Harry's 41st trip around the sun, this bonus episode includes stories from the hosts' childhood,...

We all have those books or characters that large parts of our personalities are based on. Whether the books we read when we were younger were popular or just ones we happened to have found in the library, for better or worse they helped shape who we are today. In today's Tuesday Tales episode, hosts Chelsea and Taryn share some of their favorite books from their childhood. Even they were surprised...

Do you have a book or a series that just brings your heart so much joy? Any book by Sarah M. Eden makes Taryn's heart soar. After a little prodding, Taryn was able to convince Chelsea to share in her love of Regency romance. Though she was hesitant at first, Chelsea loved it!  Join the hosts as they review Seeking Persephone, the first of the Lancaster series by Sarah M. Eden. Listen as they...

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” (Northanger Abbey) In her 41 years of life, Jane Austen managed to share stories that changed the literature and culture of England in the 1700s. Her novels were humorous critiques of the treatment of women, education, the day-to-day life of regular people, and so much more. And, of course, she...

Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a 17-year-old from Vermont, suffers from severe migraines after surviving a harrowing event. The only problem is, she doesn't remember what that event was. After two years of recovery, Cady returns to the island where everything happened, determined to discover the truth. Join the hosts as they discuss the complexity of family, the interesting setup and flow of this book,...

Have you ever read the original stories behind the fairytales that we all know and love? You may be surprised to find they included more pain, stalking, lying, and manipulation than you thought. In the first episode of their new segment, "Tuesday Tales", Chelsea and Taryn dive into two of those original stories and compare them to the wholesome versions they were raised on.  The Little Mermai...

In this episode, Chelsea and Taryn discuss Hafsah Faizal's 2019 novel, We Hunt the Flame. Due to a crazy schedule, Taryn did not actually get to finish the book. So Chelsea gets to spoil the ending for her! Listen as they pronounce everything incorrectly (they are very sorry) and discuss Faizal's exciting, ancient Arabian-inspired YA adventure.  General Overview: 0:00 - 21:50 Spoilers: 21:55...

In this episode, Chelsea and Taryn discuss John Green's newest book, The Anthropocene Reviewed. Green's collection of essays on our human-centered planet invoked more feelings in the hosts than they originally thought it would. Listen as they discuss their favorite essays, share some of their favorite quotes, and rate some of their own experiences from the last week on a 5-star scale. (Spoiler: Ta...

In this episode, Chelsea and Taryn discuss Katherine Arden's stunning 2017 debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale.  Listen as they discuss some of their favorite themes from the book, and how much Taryn really wants little magical creatures to be real.  ** We did have some audio issues with this episode, but Chelsea was amazing and re-recorded her entire part! Thank you for bearing with us as w...

In this episode, Chelsea and Taryn discuss one of Christie's most twisted and famous novels, And Then There Were None. Listen as they stress over how each would react if they were stuck on an island and everybody started to die. Spoiler, neither of them would handle it well. 

In this episode, Chelsea and Taryn discuss Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. The hosts had a lot of feelings about the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, so how did they feel about the first book of the follow-up duology? Join them as they dive into the dark and twisted streets of Ketterdam. 

In this episode, Chelsea and Taryn discuss the first book in the Grishaverse Trilogy, Shadow and Bone .  Shadow and Bone has everything we have come to expect in a YA fantasy novel. The hosts are so excited to watch the Netflix series! But what did they really think of the book?