Escape with Me Bookclub

Episode 177 - Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson This might be the most unhinged premise we've ever covered. Thanks to Keira's special interest in the Disney Parks, we discovered the Kingdom Keepers series and after reading the first book, we have just one question: Who approved this? Every night, five middle schoolers are teleported into Walt Disney World Resort while they sleep. Their m...

Episode 176 - The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson Is being a "middle book" an excuse... or a flaw? Sam and James continue their journey through the Mistborn trilogy with The Well of Ascension, and while they agree on one thing (that this is very much a second book in a trilogy) they couldn't disagree more on whether that's a compliment. For Sam, "middle book syndrome&...

Episode 175 - Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune We thought we knew what we were getting into. After loving The House in the Cerulean Sea for its cozy, heartwarming vibe and hopeful message, Sam and Hannah went into Somewhere Beyond the Sea expecting something similar. We were not prepared. This sequel keeps the compassion and humanity of the first book, but the conversations become much heavier...

Episode 174 - The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis For years, The Silver Chair was Tim's favorite Narnia book. But was it actually the book or was it his dad's absolutely legendary voice for Puddleglum doing all the work? Sam and Tim revisit one of the most beloved entries in the Narnia series and ask a dangerous question: does childhood nostalgia hold up under adult scrutiny? We discuss: • Why...

Episode 173 - Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins After more than a decade of encouragement, recommendations, and relentless badgering from Danielle, Sam is finally caught up on the entire Hunger Games book series. Mission accomplished. Now comes the next challenge: convincing her to watch the movies. But first, we have to answer a much bigger question: Is Sunrise on the Reaping the best Hun...

Episode 172 - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas “You just need to get past the first book.” That was the recommendation. Repeatedly. So Sam and Kaitlyn finally picked up Throne of Glass and… oh boy. We get into what worked, what absolutely did not, and the question we kept circling back to the entire episode: Why did people keep reading this series? From characterization to pacing to the overall re...

Episode 171 - Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Disney’s Meant to Be Series, Book 5) This episode is personal. Worth Fighting For is the reason we started covering the Meant to Be series in the first place and somehow, it’s also the reason Keira became a co-star on the podcast. Expectations? Extremely high. Stakes? Weirdly emotional. So… was it worth the hype? Oh boy. Sam and Keira dive into...

Episode 170 - Brigands & Breadknives by Travis BaldreeThis series just took its biggest swing yet. Sam and James dive into Brigands & Breadknives, the third published book in the series and easily the biggest departure from the original formula so far. The cozy fantasy vibes are still here, but this story shifts gears in a way we definitely didn’t expect. And somewhere along the way we rea...

Episode 169 -The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie We’re finally reading one of Christie’s most famous mysteries and we’re going in completely blind. Sam and Hannah try to solve The ABC Murders in real time, following the clues, tracking the pattern, and throwing out theories as we go. Sam, in particular, develops a WILD and genuinely juicy theory that sends us down a very entertaining path while...

Episode 168 - The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lilian Jackson Braun (The Cat Who Series Book 7) Are these books getting darker or are we just noticing it now? Sam and Tim continue their journey through The Cat Who series with The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare, and Tim is convinced this is the darkest installment yet. Sam isn’t so sure. We talk about: • Whether this book actually pushes the series furthe...

Episode 167 - How Far I'll Go by Keala Kendall What if Moana was worse? Sam and Kaitlyn discuss How Far I’ll Go, one of the newest entries in Disney’s Meant to Be series and unfortunately, this one was a major disappointment. We came away asking: • What lesson was this story even trying to teach? • Why does the plot feel like “What if Moana was dumber?” • And how did a relationship built aroun...

Episode 166 - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Sam finally reads The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes for the first time and immediately develops theories. Joined by Danielle, we dive into Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games prequel and unpack everything this book adds to the world of Panem, the psychology of power, and the making of Coriolanus Snow. But that’s not all. Sam leaves th...

Episode 165 - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. LewisBook vs MovieSam and Tim return to Narnia for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and this turned into a full book vs movie comparison. The verdict? The book delivers. The movie… does not. We talk about how the film takes the bones of the story and somehow still misses what makes it work. From major tonal changes to adaptation choices that just...

Episode 164 - The Stranger, The Andalite's Gift, & The Alien by K. A. ApplegateWe’re back in the Animorphs universe and this time we’re covering three books at once. Since they’re short, Sam and James read the next batch together, and something important finally clicks: everyone now has a personal reason to fight. This series is one of James’s childhood favorites, but it’s Sam’s first time...

Episode 163 - A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher This was the co-star pairing Sam had been waiting for. Kaitlyn reads A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking for the first time, and it’s exactly the conversation we hoped it would be. Even though this is technically middle-grade, the book tackles complex issues with surprising nuance. Instead of handing readers easy answers, it...

Episode 162 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Sam has officially finished the trilogy… and Mockingjay absolutely wrecked her, just like it does to everyone. In this episode, Sam and Danielle unpack the emotional fallout of the final book, including Sam’s immediate membership in the “Finnick Odair is alive, what are you talking about” club. But beyond the denial, Sam also gives a powerful explanation...

Episode 161 - The Guest List by Lucy Foley To celebrate Hannah’s recent wedding, we decided to read a wedding-themed book… and Sam chose The Guest List specifically because it would make everyone feel better about their own wedding planning. Mission accomplished. Sam and Hannah dive into this twisty thriller set during a destination wedding where secrets, grudges, and long-simmering tensions all c...

Episode 160 - The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lilian Jackson Braun(The Cat Who… Series, Book 6)We’re six books into The Cat Who… series, and this one takes a turn. Sam and Tim discuss The Cat Who Played Post Office, and while the series has always dealt with murder and mystery, this installment pushes into much darker territory. You can absolutely tell this was written in the 1980s… and not in a...

Episode 158 - Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren(Disney’s Meant to Be Series, Book 4 | Month of Love Finale) We’re closing out our Month of Love with the fourth installment in Disney’s Meant to Be series and this one gave us the strangest tonal experience of the entire project. Sam and Keira discuss Tangled Up in You and its baffling vibe shift that can only be described as Hallmark Meets True...

Episode 157 - Love Hina (Volumes 1-3)Manga Discussion | Month of Love #3For our third installment of Month of Love, Sam is joined by James to revisit the first three volumes of Love Hina, a classic early-2000s romantic comedy manga that absolutely shaped the genre. We talk about the story, the tropes, and why this series became such a defining rom-com blueprint. We also address the elephant in the...

Episode 156 - The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton February is our Month of Love, and this pick was a complete accident, but a delightful one. Sam picked up The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels expecting a cozy historical mystery and instead got flying houses, chaotic romance, and an absurdly charming story that won us over immediately. Sam and Hannah talk about why this book...

Episode 155 - The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood This book broke our rating system. Fully. Completely. Sam and Danielle talk about The Love of My Afterlife , a book we loved so much that Danielle would gladly revoke every other 5-star rating she’s ever given just to give them all to this one. It’s funny, heartfelt, weird in the best way, and emotionally devastating in a way that sneaks u...

Episode 159 - Truth of the Divine by Lindsay Ellis(Noumena Series, Book 2)After loving the first book in the Noumena series, we went into Truth of the Divine excited. We did not leave excited. Sam and James break down what went wrong in this sequel, from the complete lack of communication (not even miscommunication… just none) to one of the main characters going fully MIA for a significant portion...

Episode 154 - A Twisted Tale Anthology, edited by Elizabeth Lim Anthologies are always a gamble and this one was no exception. Sam and Kaitlyn dig into A Twisted Tale Anthology, where some stories absolutely worked for us, others really didn’t, and far too many landed in the worst category of all: boring. We talk about which retellings shine, which ones miss the mark, and why anthologies are espec...

Episode 153 - The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie (The Book That Inspired the Netflix Adaptation) With a new Netflix adaptation on the horizon, Sam and Hannah finally dive into The Seven Dials Mystery and honestly? This one surprised us. We break down the mystery itself, talk through the solution, and speculate on what the upcoming adaptation is most likely to change for modern audiences. W...