Plans Are Booked

This week we are in a summer state of mind. We've transported to Beechwood Island off of Martha's Vineyard to analyze the suspicious behavior of the Sinclair family. We're sharing our thoughts on both of E. Lockhart's stories about this mega rich family with generations of dark secrets. We talk about how this book sits at the center of a Venn diagram of YA, contemporary fiction and mystery and app...

This week we're discussing a debut novel from a beautiful writer. We dissect this singular story, delving into family dynamics and obligations, point of view decisions, unlikable narrators, and the magic of strong prose, even when you aren't rooting for a single character. After reading Wei's first book, we're eagerly anticipating what she creates next. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin heads to...

This week we're discussing a story about found family, set in Portland, Maine. We hypothesize that chapter one may have started out as a short story, we applaud Wood's beautiful writing and intentional word choice, how the shifting verb tenses deepened our immersion with each character, the way this tale stayed with us for many days after we finished reading, and our hopes for it to become a mini...

This week we head to non-fiction land to read a book that is part exposé and part personal reflection. Sarah bravely shares about her experience working for Facebook and the disturbing truths of being inside a company with no moral compass. We talk about the parallels between Facebook's leadership team and our current administration, the hypocrisy of Sheryl Sandberg and her Lean In movement, the i...

This week we're discussing an author we adore and deep diving (pun intended) on her newest romance novel. We talk about Ali's unique background - her PhD in neuroscience, her love for fan fiction, and our complete awe that English is not her first language. We praise her foray into sports romance, set among the swimming and diving teams at Stanford, adding a competitiveness that upped the stakes....

This week we discuss a story about resistance. Bray's novel includes three timelines and three character duos, each trying to make sense of the political environments they're living in. We discuss how YA often tackles hard topics, how strange it is to read about the pandemic, the power of first love, the themes of not being complicit and remaining hopeful, and how deeply relevant this book is to t...

Ever wondered what it's like to listen to three figure skating super fans geek out on a book about ice dancing? This week's episode is for you. We chat about growing up in the land of Nancy Kerrigan, the competitive nature of the sport, and who we were picturing as the main characters. We also deep dive on Layne Fargo's acknowledgement for author Taylor Jenkins Reid, and how the book's structure r...

We've got a wonderfully packed episode for you this week. We recap our trip to New York City to celebrate Kaitlin's 40th birthday, Steph tells us about her new flip house project, and we deep dive on the story of Addie LaRue. We discuss the fantasy genre, Schwab's beautiful writing, timeline hopping, and unexpectedly rooting for a Shadow Daddy. We also explore questions like - what are you willing...

This week we're talking about a suspenseful story that had us gripped. We talk about our favorite characters, the pacing, the parts that made us panic, the dangers of social media, and our shared opinion that this is a stellar airplane read. In our catch up this week, we recap our group outing to the Titanic exhibit, Molly reflects on a client that has her back in the restaurant world, and Steph r...

We’ve got a very fun, thematic episode for you this week. Inspired by Ashley Poston’s book, A Novel Love Story, we’re talking about stories, settings and characters we’d like to visit. We each select a book we’d like to vacation in and one we’d consider living in. We didn’t share our picks with each other in advance, leading to a surprising, revealing, and hilarious conversation. In our catch up t...

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are back in the spotlight with the release of Meghan's new Netflix show, making it the perfect time for us to share our thoughts on Prince Harry's revealing memoir, Spare. We talk about growing up in the age of Princess Diana, learning the harsh realities of the royal family's internal dynamics, the long-time bitterness between Prince Harry and Prince William, how Ha...

Is there anything more thrilling than winning a giveaway? This week we had the privilege of reading an advance copy of Linda Holmes' newest book, which is packed with witty and charming banter. We talk about how fun it was to read someone else's perspective on the podcast recording and editing process, the clever way she exposes the truth behind advertising and influencer deals, the humor she brou...

This week we're talking about a book that we all feel should be required reading. We chat about how the idea emerged, the co-author writing process, the intricacy of writing from multiple perspectives across lengthy timelines, the authenticity of how the trans experience is described, the flaws in the U.S. justice system, and much more. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin reunites with her teacher...

Join us as we get to know a new side of Cher, the global icon. We talk about Cher's traumatic childhood, her complicated relationship with her mother, her romantic patterns, her rise to fame, the abuse she suffered, and our enormous admiration for the human rights champion she has become. We also draw parallels between her story and the many other memoirs we've read by women in the entertainment i...

This week we discuss an essay collection that asks really hard questions. What do you do when you learn an artist you adore has done something deplorable? What is your duty as a fan? Should you separate the work from the person? Can you? Claire Dederer's commentary is brilliant, compelling, and will stay with you long after you finish the book. We share personal stories about the monsters we've gr...

This week we're headed back to high school. We're talking about coming of age, social hierarchy, queen bees, teenage gossip, and much more. We even get to hear some war stories from Ms. Mattison's classroom. We Run the Tides is one of those great books that straddles the line between adult fiction and YA. In our catch up, Steph dreams of a meet cute at Target, Kaitlin and Molly are giddy about bei...

You know Rebecca Yarros from Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and the newly released Onyx Storm, but did you know she has dozens of other fiction books? This week we explore the full Rebecca Yarros book list, calling out favorites like Variation, Full Measures and Great and Precious Things. We talk about her talent for world building, her preference for small towns and all their quirky locals, her mastery...

Join us this week as we chat about family dynamics, sisterhood, masking, addiction, grief and forgiveness, all inspired by Blue Sisters. This is a story about three women, each at a critical inflection point. We talk about the authenticity of the characters, the questions we were left with, and our hopes for an eventual screen adaptation. Fun fact: all three of us read this book on vacation. It tr...

This week we're reunited with an author we all admire. We're discussing the fiction novel debut of Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, who wrote The Undocumented Americans. This new work, Catalina, is about a young woman attending Harvard while juggling the many stressors and anxieties that come with being undocumented. We applaud Villavicencio's sharp writing in which every single word packs a punch and...

This week we're talking about a memoir that took all of us by surprise. Patrick Bringley leaves a prestigious job at The New Yorker to become a security guard at the MET. His story not only brings readers behind the scenes of one of the most influential centers of art in the world, but it's a powerful testimony about loss, grief, love and hope. We talk about the passages that made us cry, the impo...

Join us as we deep dive on a story that left us with so many questions. This week we discuss All Fours, a book that felt truly singular. Molly shares what compelled her to purchase it, then we opine about unlikeable narrators, a break dancing scene we can't get out of our heads, the taboo topic of menopause, and where we think this title may have come from. In our catch up this week, Steph spreads...

We're back in Memoir Land this week, talking about the life of Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie Presley. The book is told from two perspectives, Lisa Marie and her daughter Riley. We talk about Elvis' super stardom, growing up in the shadow of fame, celebrity marriages, and more. All of us were moved by Riley's description of grief and we had a new appreciation for her portrayal of Daisy Jones. In our c...

This week we are transported to Tree Hill, North Carolina thanks to Bethany Joy Lenz's memoir. The actress, best known for her role as Haley on One Tree Hill, has written a vulnerable and honest account of her time in a religious cult. We talk about the power of high control groups, how to recognize gaslighting, and how her story shed new light on her role on a fan favorite show. We discuss the ic...

Our annual tradition is back! Ahead of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, we're sharing our favorite books to gift. This year, we're strongly encouraging you to prioritize banned books to ensure some of the most important and powerful stories get into the hands of new readers. We have recommendations across literary fiction, memoir, romance, YA, graphic novels, children's book...

Welcome to a tale of two covers. Two key holes, two maids, two murder mysteries. This week we're talking about The Maid by Nita Prose (and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden). We just finished Prose's story about a maid named Molly who works at a luxury hotel. We talk about narrators who are on the spectrum and how challenging it is to read about people being taken advantage of. In our catch up, Kai...