Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast

In this episode, we are diving into a hot topic – the major increase in steamy, sexy “spice” content showing up across book genres over the past 4-5 years. And we’re not just talking about the expected erotic romance novels packing on the heat. Lately, it seems that every genre, whether fantasy, thriller, or others, is more explicit than ever before. Fantasy books especially have gotten very spicy...

Welcome back to our whatever-we-feel-like-talking-about month here at Fully Booked, the month that allows us to discuss any book podcast topics we like in December. Today we’re tackling general reading habits and the idea of “guilty pleasure” reading. We’re reminiscing how asking people about their guilty pleasures in books, music, movies, TV shows, hobbies, collections, etc used to be very common...

Romance takes center stage as we embark on an enthralling exploration of the rich literary landscape crafted by novelist Colleen Hoover for this first episode of our free-for-all month this December. In a deliberate departure from the constraints of a predetermined theme, we’re opting for a comprehensive and in-depth discussion delving into the intricate layers of five of Hoover’s most critically...

It’s the final week of November, and that means it’s time for the last episode of dark fantasy coverage. The genre has so much to offer, and we’ve had a blast chatting about the ins and outs, the tropes, and the best that this popular niche has to offer. To close out November’s dark fantasy theme, we’ve opted to tackle the debate around whether fantasy authors are able to write standalone novels f...

It’s time for another look at a dark fantasy adaptation! We’re delighted and unsettled by the creepily whimsical world of Coraline, experienced through both Neil Gaiman’s original novella and Henry Selick’s masterful film adaptation. Coraline Adaptation Summary Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones has recently moved from Michigan to the historic Pink Palace Apartments in Oregon with her parents, Mel and...

It’s time for another November episode, and that means Dark Fantasy! Nowadays most new fantasy publications incorporate dark fantasy elements, even if the overall story fits squarely under general fantasy. Dark fantasy generally takes the common traits of high fantasy – mystical lands, magical races, epic quests – and infuses them with darker twists. Rather than a typical orc warlord villain, you...

We’re excited to announce that it’s the month of November, which in reality is an extension of the spooky Halloween season, isn’t it? With the gloomy, rainy weather and decreasing daylight, the only thing to do is embrace the spookiness… again. Though we’re not continuing our coverage of Gothic fiction, this month we decided to talk about something just as good – Dark Fantasy fiction. To get the b...

It’s the final week of October 2023, the close of Gothic Literature Month on our podcast, and Halloween is fast approaching! And what better way to close out the month than by discussing the evolution of Gothic literature and horror, from its classic incarnations to how modern Gothic tales differ, and the new directions the genre is taking. Classic Gothic Works In classic Gothic works of the 18th...

We’re back with another hit of Gothic literature for this month of October, the time for all things creepy. We honestly always feel a bit dark and mysterious but especially so during the ominous month of October, when we really indulge our love of all things spooky . To continue our journey into the shadowy world of Gothic fiction, we decided to focus on the “Gothic queen” herself, the always bril...

Welcome listeners to another spooky episode of Fully Booked, and happy Friday the 13th! We’re continuing our coverage of Gothic Fiction Month, and this week we’ll be chatting about what makes a Gothic novel gothic, whether it falls into the canon of horror literature or not. When we pick up a Gothic novel, some expectations off the bat include a haunted house, a ghostly presence permeating the pag...

It’s officially October, also known as spooky season, also known as the most wonderful time of the year! This month, we’ll be diving into one of the most classic subgenres of horror , Gothic fiction. Full of creepy houses, ghostly apparitions, and spooky specters, the Gothic genre provides its readers with all of the atmosphere and tension to be expected from the scariest month of the year. To kic...

We’re most of the way through the year, and we thought it might be time to talk about how our year in books has been going and have a general check-in about all things stigma when it comes to reading struggles! Shirin shares that she started off the year strong in regards to books, but has since hit a major reading slump. She explains that back in April, bedridden with COVID, she read Sarah J. Maa...

Meaghan and Shirin, the dynamic hosts of the “Fully Booked” podcast , open the curtain on this week’s episode, promising listeners an immersive journey into the enchanting realm of Hallmark mystery movies. With excitement in their voices, they reveal their mission for the day: to conduct an in-depth exploration and critical analysis of these cinematic adaptations, lovingly crafted from the pages o...

Mid-September is the perfect time of year. Taking this time to talk about mysteries is a blast, and if they happen to include food, all the better! We’re so excited to further explore cozy mysteries this month at Fully Booked, specifically those in the popular culinary subgenre. Even though it’s still hot and humid here when we’re recording-blech-we’re envisioning curling up with a blanket, a cup...

Welcome to another week of early fall happiness! This week, we’ll be talking about some coziness of the YA or middle-grade persuasion, with 2020 Netflix film Enola Holmes this week, as part of our cozy mystery month theme . Enola Holmes is a young adult mystery adventure film based on the book series of the same name by author Nancy Springer. It stars Millie Bobby Brown as the titular character En...

The air is chilling, the leaves are beginning to turn, and we’re all pulling our sweater selections out of our closets. It’s officially the start of the fall season in our hearts, at least. With this change of season comes a feeling of comfort, a feeling of cozy, and one might say a feeling of mystery as well. This month, we’ll be talking about cozy mysteries! We find cozy mysteries to be a great...

Welcome to the final week of rom-com month at Fully Booked! In this episode, we’re continuing our ongoing discussions about romantic comedies and the romance genre to close out the summer months. We’re kicking things off by chatting about what books we each currently have sitting on our nightstands-Shirin is reading It Happened One Summer, a recent rom-com by bestselling author Tessa Bailey (very...

We love an adaptation, and when this one was announced we knew that we’d be talking about it sooner rather than later. This week, we’re having an in-depth discussion about the new movie adaptation of the popular 2019 romance novel Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The movie was just released on Amazon Prime on August 11, 2023. Meaghan read and loved the book, while Shirin did not, al...

When it comes to romance , it’s Initially easy for our skepticism to get the better of us. We questioned, we doubted, and sometimes we even felt the urge to dismiss the narrative outright. But isn’t that just like life? We’re often hesitant to embrace new experiences, wondering if we’re being overly critical or perhaps not giving something its dues. At times, we feel that we might be missing the e...

In this hot month of August, we’re taking a plunge into the refreshing pool of romantic comedies. Ah, romcoms! They’re a wonderful blend of humor and romance, filled with heart-fluttering moments and laughter-inducing scenarios. And who can resist the charm of a good romcom ? They’re the perfect escape, taking us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and leaving us with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside....

If there’s one thing that the summer season is simply made for, it’s the theatre! The lights, costumes, and whimsy of it all! Theatre is its own singular source of entertainment, and this month we’ll be talking about all things to do with the stage. Whether you like to read plays or watch them be performed, there’s a little something for everyone this July. In this week’s discussion, we take a dee...

If there’s one thing that the summer season is simply made for, it’s the theatre! The lights, costumes, and whimsy of it all! Theatre is its own singular source of entertainment, and this month we’ll be talking about all things to do with the stage. Whether you like to read plays or watch them be performed, there’s a little something for everyone this July. Chicago in the 1920s. Murder, mayhem, an...

If there’s one thing that the summer season is simply made for, it’s the theatre! The lights, costumes, and whimsy of it all! Theatre is its own singular source of entertainment, and this month we’ll be talking about all things to do with the stage. Whether you like to read plays or watch them be performed, there’s a little something for everyone this July. Do you know how many books over the year...

If there’s one thing that the summer season is simply made for, it’s the theatre! The lights, costumes, and whimsy of it all! Theatre is its own singular source of entertainment, and this month we’ll be talking about all things to do with the stage. Whether you like to read plays or watch them performed, there’s a little something for everyone this July. We all love to sit down and watch a movie,...

What goes better with the start of the summer season than a great thriller? Bring them to the beach, or pack them for a week at the lake house, thrillers and suspense novels provide the perfect summer escape. They have the power to captivate a reader and give them a thrill, all at a safe distance. Suburban murders, illicit affairs, and hard-boiled detectives-we’ll be talking about all of these and...