Escape with Me Bookclub

Episode 152 - Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova(Meant to Be Series, Book 3)After two books of almost getting there, the Meant to Be series finally delivers. Sam and Keira dive into Kiss the Girl, the first book in the series that genuinely seems to understand what this project is trying to do. We talk through the characters, the set-up, and the overall story, unpacking why this book works better th...

Episode 151 - Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis Book vs Movie It’s time for a classic book vs movie showdown. Sam and Tim revisit Prince Caspian and while the book still holds up, the movie… well, the Rotten Tomatoes score of 66% feels extremely earned. We break down what works so well on the page, what gets lost (or unnecessarily added) on screen, and why adapting The Chronicles of Narnia was always g...

Episode 150 - Fate Be Changed by Farrah Rochon Did We Read the Same Book? This week, Sam and Kaitlyn are genuinely confused — and not in a fun mystery way. Fate Be Changed left us with questions we still can’t answer, starting with why this author was chosen to write this book (no, really… why?), and spiraling into issues with characterization, time travel logic, and cliffhangers that feel less “e...

Episode 149 - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins First-Time Reader vs. Long-Time Fan It’s time to return to Panem and this time, Sam and Danielle are coming in with very different reading histories. One is experiencing Catching Fire for the first time, the other knows exactly what emotional devastation is coming. We break down the love triangle drama, why President Snow is so bad at his job, the imp...

Hannah finally gets a break from Hastings… because he’s not in this one. And honestly? Any book without Hastings starts at a 4-star baseline. Episode 148: Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie It’s always a good day when we get a Poirot mystery and a Hastings-free flight. Sam and Hannah dive into one of Christie’s most delightfully absurd premises: murder above the clouds, suspicious passengers,...

🎧 Episode Title: The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun✨ Episode Summary:This week on Escape With Me Bookclub, we’re heading to Moose County, 400 miles north of everywhere, for a cozy mystery with plenty of charm, chaos, and cats! 🐈Join us as we discuss The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun, the fifth book in her beloved The Cat Who... series. There’s a suspicious body in...

📚 Once Upon a Letdown | The Retelling That Forgot the Story We’re diving into By the Book by Jasmine Guillory, a supposed Beauty and the Beast retelling that had all the potential for magic, but… left us wondering where the enchantment went. In this episode, we talk about what worked (barely), what didn’t (a lot), and why this modern retelling missed the mark on everything that makes Beauty and t...

Sometimes all it takes to overthrow a god is a little teamwork, a lot of trauma, and the right metals to burn. 💥 In this week’s episode, the Escape with Me Bookclub dives into Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: the heist, the heart, and the hero who literally changes the world. We’re talking found family, revolution, and the surprisingly scientific side of fantasy magic. When fantasy gets scientific...

Once upon a time, a fairy “blessed” a baby with obedience… and it went about as well as you’d expect. This week, we’re diving into Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: the classic fairy tale retelling that turns obedience into a curse and shows us what real courage looks like. 💫 We talk about Ella’s cleverness, the themes of autonomy and defiance, and (of course) that movie adaptation that took…...

Step through the wardrobe with us as we revisit C.S. Lewis’s timeless classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and its magical (and occasionally icy) movie adaptation! ❄️ In this episode, we’re talking childhood nostalgia, book-to-movie differences, character changes, and the enduring magic of Narnia. From Turkish delight to talking lions, we’re asking the big question: Which told it better: t...

When teen witch Mila brings her best friend (and two of their school’s mean girls) back from the dead, chaos ensues. Between hexes, high school, and homicide, Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson gives us witchy weirdness, emotional heart, and zombie-level drama. 🧙‍♀️💀 Join us as we break down this unhinged yet heartfelt story about grief, friendship, and teenage resurrection gone wrong. Was it wor...

✨ Found Family Magic ✨Why Everyone Loves The House in the Cerulean Sea 💙 This week on Escape with Me Bookclub , we dive into TJ Klune’s whimsical, heartfelt tale of found family, acceptance, and a home where everyone belongs. From quirky magical children to a grumpy man learning how to love, The House in the Cerulean Sea has captured readers everywhere—and we’re unpacking why it works so beauti...

Does the Title Fit? | The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo The Proposal That Changed Everything What would you do if you were asked to marry… a ghost? 👻 In this episode, we dive into The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo — a story full of haunting family secrets, unexpected romance, and journeys through the afterlife. We discuss whether the title really fits the story, what worked (and what didn’t), and why...

🎃 "The Twisted Tale that Broke Us." That’s not just a catchy title, it’s the truth. This week we’re diving into Sally’s Lament by Mari Mancusi, the newest addition to Disney’s Twisted Tales series. And let’s just say… it was a ride. Equal parts good, unhinged, and maybe bad? We’re not totally sure, but one thing’s for certain: it was an experience we won’t forget anytime soon. From wild...

✨ Episode 138: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy ✨ What happens when Cinderella meets The Bachelor ? Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits (the first book in Disney’s Meant to Be series) brings a modern, body-positive twist to the classic fairytale we all know. 👠 In this episode, we dive into: The fresh, fun retelling of Cinderella How Murphy balances rom-com charm with heartfelt themes Reality TV dra...

Welcome back to Escape With Me Bookclub ! 🎙️ This week, we’re diving into The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins but here’s the twist: it’s the first time one of us has ever read it . From Katniss’ survival skills 🏹 to Peeta’s charm 🎂, we talk about the themes that made this dystopian classic unforgettable and how it hits when you’re reading it for the first time today. ✨ In this episode, we cover...

What happens when you pick up a Poirot novel… only for Poirot to sit on the sidelines? 🤔 In Three Act Tragedy (also published as Murder in Three Acts ), Agatha Christie experiments with structure, surprise, and misdirection in a story that feels unlike her usual Poirot mystery. In this episode, we break down: Why Poirot isn’t the real star of the show 🕵️ The balance between clever twists and ques...

"Courage, Compassion, Soup" – Comparing The Tale of Despereaux Book & Movie 🐭🍲 Join Sam & Tim as we dive into Kate DiCamillo’s beloved children’s classic The Tale of Despereaux and compare it to its big-screen adaptation. From brave little mice to misunderstood rats, magical soup to royal drama, we’ll explore what the movie got right, what it changed, and why some choices work…...

🧁💀 Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery | Escape With Me Bookclub Ep. 134 Murder, mayhem, and Miami? This week, we’re heading back to Florida for Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, the hilarious and nostalgic first entry in a brand-new cozy mystery series inspired by The Golden Girls ! When Dorothy’s disastrous date turns up dead (face-first in a cheesecake, no less), i...

🎙️ Incredibles is UK now? | Suddenly Super by Jen Calonita Welcome back to Escape With Me Bookclub! This week, we're diving into Suddenly Super by Jen Calonita — a charming middle grade superhero story that feels like The Incredibles met British boarding school drama in the best way possible. From secret powers and sidekick rules to unexpected betrayals and family bonds, we break down what wor...

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen | Full Discussion & Reaction Join us as we dive into Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility —a timeless classic of love, heartbreak, and societal expectations. We break down the iconic sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, analyze the contrasting themes of reason vs. emotion, and discuss how this novel still resonates today. Whether you're here for the rom...

Welcome to our latest episode, where we dive headfirst into the deadly Tournament of Champions in The Savior’s Champion by Jenna Moreci! This fantasy-romance adventure follows Tobias, an artist-turned-gladiator, forced to fight for the hand of the Savior—the mystical ruler of his realm. But this tournament isn’t what it seems… blood spills, secrets unfold, and love threatens to upend everything. ⚔...

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto | Cozy Mystery Review Welcome back to the show! This week, we’re digging into the delightful chaos that is Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Murder in a tea shop? A nosy widow with a talent for uncovering secrets? Found family and a touch of mystery? Yes, please! Join us as we break down this genre-b...

📚 Animorphs Deep Dive: Books 4–6 | The Message, The Predator, The Capture The saga continues! This week, we’re diving into the next trio of Animorphs books by K.A. Applegate: The Message , The Predator , and The Capture . The stakes are rising, the fights are weirder (did someone say swimming slugs?), and the moral dilemmas are just getting started. From dolphins to bug fighters to the horrors of...

📚 Anti-Fantasy Fantasy Deconstruction | “I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons” by Peter S. Beagle What happens when dragons aren’t monsters to be slain or even a problem at all? In this episode, we dive into I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle, a whimsical and deceptively simple tale that flips traditional fantasy on its head. From its jaded prince to the casual presence of dragons,...