Five or Flop: the Best (and Worst) Historical Fiction Has to Offer

In today's bonus episode, settle in for our (very unorganized) thoughts on Bridgerton Season 3, streaming now on Netflix! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review and give us a follow on Twitt...

In today's SEASON FINALE, we're discussing Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and recapping our season two reads! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review and give us a follow on Twitter, I...

In today's episode, we're discussing Babel by R.F. Kuang, the importance of language and its relation to colonialism, and Grace's broken iPad. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review and give...

In today's episode, we're discussing The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. A timeless classic, a YA gem -- how else can we spoil our review and star rating? Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review...

In today's episode, we're discussing The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. We also harp on some of the other books we've talked about because we love revisiting old memories for new comparisons! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Seaso...

In today's episode, we're discussing The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Remember how last week we talked about being too historically accurate? This week is the exact opposite! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok a...

In today's episode, we're discussing She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan and the risk of being TOO historically accurate. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review and give us a follo...

In today's episode, we're discussing The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, repeat pod authors, and (unfortunately) horses. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review and give us a follow on Twit...

In today's episode, we're discussing The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review and give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @fiveorflop_pod for all...

In today's episode, we're discussing Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. AND we're back with another special guest to provide a dissenting opinion! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Le...

In today's episode, we're discussing The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah of Booktok fame (and also well-deserved real world fame). Are we finally back on the same page of agreeing with each other? Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is...

In today's episode, we're discussing Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and we get into some conflicts and controversies with this one! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. Leave us a review...

In honor of the Bridgerton Season 3 premiere, this author invites you to a discussion of Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. Catch up on all things Polin, Whistledown, and more before watching the latest season on Netflix! Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine,...

In this week's episode, we discuss Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, the Japanese colonization of Korea, intergenerational trauma, and just how many side characters is too many. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestsellers. L...

In this episode, we welcome special guest Ashley Bell onto the pod to discuss Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, queer lit, and the ultimate question of topping or flopping. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season Two is Booktok and Bestse...

In the Season Two premiere of the podcast, we're trekking to Europe to read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, start a series-long discourse on time jumps in books, and listen to Erin's thoughts on the Netflix adaptation. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine...

In this special bonus episode, we discuss two pretty niche controversies within the book and library space. We've mentioned these both in previous episodes, so it's time for a deep dive! Read up on RWA: https://www.vox.com/2020/1/10/21055125/rwa-what-happened-resignations-courtney-milan-damon-suede-backstory-2020-ritas-conference https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2020/6/17/21178881/racism-books-ro...

In this special bonus episode, we invite special guest and astrology expert Nohely to discuss the birth charts of some of our favorite (and least favorite) characters. Did the stars truly align to give them such awful qualities? (Nohely called in all the way from Texas, so we recorded this episode over Zoom instead of in the studio! We did our best but there may be a slight dip in the audio qualit...

In this special bonus episode, Grace and Erin review the movie version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and ask a very important question: why was Hugh Jackman necessary in this movie? Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. Leave us a review and give us a foll...

*DISCLAIMER: Apologies if the audio sounds a bit quieter here! We had some technical difficulties in production!* In the Season One finale of the podcast, we're headed down to New Zealand to discuss The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, star signs, and how deeply Grace and Erin are willing to read into a novel. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer....

In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to 1850s Mexico to discuss Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, an argument over People We Meet on Vacation, and Erin's career in parapsychology. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season One is...

In this episode of the podcast, we're going to Uganda to discuss Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and the questions "what even is history and what even is truth?" Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season One is Reading Around the World, an...

*DISCLAIMER: Apologies for the fuzzy audio portion! We had some technical difficulties while recording and also had to cut some of the intro/author bio as a result. Some other notes about Isabel Allende that we had to cut: she received a Presidential Medal of Honor and is an active philanthropist, having started a foundation after her daughter passed away (much like Violeta in the novel).* In this...

In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to Jaipur, India in the 1950s to discuss The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, a fabulous main character, and flop secondary characters. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season One is Reading Around the...

In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to Paris (and several other countries in Europe) to discuss the Spy by Paulo Coelho, the life of Mata Hari, and crimes against writing. Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction has to offer. Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a scale of flop, fine, or five. The theme for Season One is Reading Aroun...