Paperback Ponderings

The end of the year is here, so let's talk favourites! Join Sarah and Kyla this week for an awards-style episode where they present nominees and winners for all the relevant categories of a favourite book. From Best Romantic Tension and Coolest Magic System, to Top 3 Overall Books of the Year, the girls are getting into the nitty gritty of their favourite books of 2025 and you're guarantee...

This week, Sarah and Kyla sit down with V.L. Bovalino to talk about her adult fantasy debut, The Second Death of Locke. Tune in to hear about the inspiration behind this lady knight, childhood best friends to lovers story, what went into crafting the magic system, characters, and yearning, and how V.L. transitioned from the YA horror genre to adult fantasy. She also shares exciting new details abo...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in November. Tune in to hear about some highly anticipated sequels, the new lady knight book that stole their hearts, a recommendation for Addie LaRue lovers, and more! As always, this episode is spoiler-free. [00:49] Ledge & Chasm [09:11] Our Infinite Fates  [17:58] Fallen Stars  [24:48] Red, White, & Royal Blu...

This week, Sarah and Kyla sit down with author Laura R. Samotin to discuss the Cursed Crown duology, made up of The Sins on their Bones and The Lure of their Graves. Tune in to hear about Laura's inspirations and creative process behind writing these books, as well as a deeper discussion on accurately depicting abusive relationships in fiction, writing villains you can empathize with, and the...

This week, Kyla is giving you a full plot recap of Quicksilver by Callie Hart to get you ready for the release of the sequel, Brimstone, on November 18th! If you don't have time to reread Quicksilver, this episode is for you. Tune in for a recap of all the major plot points and character details that you'll need to know going into Brimstone. [00:59] Intro in Zilvaren [4:42] Saeris wakes in...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast, an exciting new dystopian romance debut. Tune in to hear their thoughts on the prison system where the rich hunt the inmates to the death for sport, along with the moral questions of a prison guard x prisoner relationship and theories for where the next book will go! The first section of this episode shares the girls&...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in October. Tune in to hear their thoughts on several very hyped new releases, some long-awaited sequels, and a book about cannibalism?! As always, this episode is spoiler-free. [00:47] Alchemised [09:45] The Sins on their Bones [16:27] Mate  [23:11] A Scar in the Bone [29:28] Tender is the Flesh [38:55] Accomplice to t...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are playing a fun game where they try to guess the title of a book after only hearing the first line. Play along and see if you can guess any of these books better than they did!

This week, Sarah and Kyla are discussing A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan! Tune in for a breakdown of the Peaky Blinders comparisons, the crazy plot twists, and theories about what direction the story will go in the sequel. As always, the beginning of the episode is spoiler-free while they share their general thoughts and ratings, but they'll let you know when the spoilers are starting. [0...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in September. Tune in for some gothic fantasy and paranormal rom-com recommendations for spooky season, as well as a Handmaid's Tale-esque reverse harem, and Kyla's latest 5 star read! This episode is spoiler-free. [00:36] Anathema  [07:29] The Nightshade God  [14:15] Atmosphere [19:47] Your Knife, My Heart [25:...

We all know autumn is the best time for reading books with a cozy academy setting, so this week Sarah and Kyla are sharing a list of fantasy book recommendations featuring magical academies, almost all of which were released within the last year! Tune in for a short description of what each is about and whether we liked it or plan on reading it. This episode is completely spoiler-free. [00:39] Arc...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are joined by Taylor from @one.more.chapter.tk on bookstagram for a game of Bang, Marry, Kill with the characters from the Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Tune in to hear their choices in a number of fun categories, from the favourite male leads to the shifters and villains, along with some minor theorizing about what's coming next i...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in August. Tune in to hear about kilt-wearing wolf shifters, a love triangle with two fae brothers, the dark forces books that have left the girls feral, and more! This episode is spoiler-free. [00:23] The Jasad Heir  [08:48] A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows [16:08] The Wolf King [23:47] Caught Up [29:26] One Golden Summe...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are back with the second half of the major fantasy releases scheduled for fall 2025 (October 15th-December 31st). Tune in for a chronological list with release dates, a short description of what each is about, and whether or not the girls will be reading it. Don't forget to catch Part 1 if you haven't already! [00:23] Bonds of Hercules [04:48] The Wrath of the Fal...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are going over all the major fantasy book releases coming out in the first half of fall 2025 (September 1st-October 15th). Tune in for a chronological list with release dates, a short description of what each is about, and whether or not the girls will be reading it. Don't miss Part 2 (covering October 15th-December 31st) coming next week! [00:56] Wild Reverence [06:3...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are discussing one of their favourite books of the year so far, Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen. Tune in for a breakdown all the major events in the book, theories for the sequel, and comparisons between Dire Bound and other fantasy books they loved! The first section of the episode is spoiler-free for anyone still deciding if they want to read it, but they'll let you kn...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are getting into all the books they read and loved in July (and there were a LOT)! Tune in to hear about some fantasy new releases this month, as well as the dark romance that converted Kyla, and the cowboy romance that made Sarah a believer (in cowboys). This episode is spoiler-free. [00:35] The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy [08:10] Blood of Hercules [13:26] C...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are discussing Silver Elite by Dani Francis, the new dystopian romance book that took the internet by storm over the past few months. Tune in for a full breakdown of the major plot twists and theories about the Uprising, the secrets of the Prime leadership, the mystery of the Fractured, and more! The girls will also be addressing the controversy around the author's pe...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are deep diving into Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry! This book took the internet by storm when it released this spring, and the girls are breaking down everything from crux migration theories to the missed opportunity for a juicy love triangle and where the story might be going next. They also share recommendations for books with similar vibes to help your book hangov...

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in June. Tune in to hear about an urban fantasy to rival Crescent City, the dystopian fantasy with an anonymous author that's currently taking the internet by storm, a dark why-choose romance about raven shifters that even Sarah found intense, and more! This episode is spoiler-free.

This week, Sarah and Kyla are sharing their favourite books of 2025 so far! Through several fun categories like Best Sequel, Best New Release, and more, you'll find out which specific books outshone the 40+ books they've each read this year so far. Get ready to grow your TBR! *This episode is spoiler-free*

This week, Sarah and Kyla are going over all the major fantasy and romantasy book releases coming out in July and August. Tune in for a spoiler-free synopsis of each, and whether or not the girls will be reading them!

This week, Sarah and Kyla are discussing the celestial enemies-to-lovers story, Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu. Tune in to hear about the whimsical worldbuilding, strong found family setup, and steamy romance that has them eager to dive into the sequel this fall! As always, the first section of the episode is spoiler-free for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in May. From the new fantasy book that will fill the Fourth Wing void, to stalker romances and Dramione fanfiction, this episode is a mixed bag of great reads! Tune in for a spoiler-free synopsis and thoughts on each.

This week, Sarah and Kyla are switching it up from their usual fantasy content to chat about summery romance books! This episode covers four of the most popular authors in the genre, giving you a synopsis of each of their top two highest rated and most widely read books, as well as Sarah and Kyla's spoiler-free thoughts on them.