The Readirect Podcast

Today, we're doing a deep dive into Christine Brown Woolley's memoir, Sister Wife . As longtime fans of TLC's Sister Wives, we were SEATED for this tell-all from Christine. Read along or listen in for our TLDR version of this explosive book.  Plus recent read from Emily, Beartown by Fredrick Backman Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky at @readirectpodcast, and if you're loving t...

In honor of Back to School season, we're drafting our teams of our favorite fictional schools from literature, discussing what makes these educational settings compelling, terrifying, and gossip-worthy.   Team Emily   One-room schoolhouse from The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah   Shiz from Wicked by Gregory Maguire   Hawkings Independent School from The Cadence of Part-Time Poets by mostwolo  ...

Today, we're previewing our most anticipated fall 2025 book releases! Plus a bunch of recent reads.  Fall Releases:  Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley Alchemised by SenLinYu Awake by Jen Hatmaker The Librarians by Sherry Thomas Thursday Murder Club #5 (The Impossible Fortune) by Richard Osman Play Nice by Rachel Harrison...

Today we're revisiting Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse series for a Reading Rewind episode!  PLUS: Is Stephanie Meyer going to release a Jacob and Renesmee sequel for the 20th anniversary of the Twilight saga?  And personal updates from Emily & Abigail to round out the episode. Stay tuned to the end for a plethora of book recommendations.  Recent Reads:  Real Life by Brandon Tayl...

We take stock of our reading lives at the halfway point of the year, discussing our progress toward reading 100 books, favorite and least favorite reads, and what's on our TBR lists. Recent Reads:  And They Were Roommates by Page Powers The Rose Code by Kate Quinn Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson If you like our candid conversations and unedited th...

Today we're discussing the world of celebrity pap walks featuring the celebs and their books. From Sarah Jessica Parker (who always seems to be caught with a book) to Timmy C. on the subway reading Dune to a SPIRITED debate over the Bradley Cooper-Suki Waterhouse Lolita fiasco... We've got it all.  We're also discussing the recent trailer for Project Hail Mary (hello!!!!!) and the t...

Join us for our highly competitive Pride Month book draft! We each take turns selecting our team of favorite books about queer characters and/or authors who are LGBTQIA+.  Team Abigail:  The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Team Emily:  The Pairing by Casey McQuiston A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hal...

It's time for another jam-packed Book Talk episode!  We catch up on our recent reads, from Abigail's recent Emily Henry reread journey to five-star favorites and recent DNFs, plus discuss the controversial marketing of fanfiction in traditional publishing. Abigail's complete (revised) Emily Henry reread rankings:  Funny Story Happy Place  Beach Read People We Meet on Vacation   Book...

We're joined by dear Friend of the Show Colleen to discuss Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams . This book details Sarah's account of her time working for Facebook, and it is definitely explosive. We're recapping the highlights and horrifying revelations including: shark attacks, private planes, Settlers of Catan, Zika virus, global politics, and more.   Read the book & join...

Today's episode is all about our picks for your beach reads this year!  As a reminder, the beach is a closed ecosystem and what you read there does not transcend into other realms. Like the airport, nothing matters here. Read your crazy books, be free, have fun.  BEACH READS:  Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon Funny Story by Emily Henry The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco by Talia Hibbert Gravity & Th...

Join us for a deep dive of Emily Henry's newest release, Great Big Beautiful Life !  Plus a discussion of upcoming releases, movie adaptations, and casting for Sunrise on the Reaping.  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a five-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, follow us on Instagram and Bluesky at @readirectpodcast, and share our show with a friend. Recent Reads:  Trial of t...

We're here with a short and hilarious episode that had us CRYING laughing on multiple occasions. Today, we're sharing our unpopular bookish opinions, as well as the unpopular opinions of listeners & strangers on Reddit.  Want to help us grow our community of book loving nerds? Leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow us on Instagram and Bluesky at @redirectpod...

SPOILER ALERT! We will be discussing this book in exhaustive details, proceed with caution! Today, we're doing a deep dive on Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. The raw audio for this episode was over an hour and a half long, and it still somehow feels like we barely scratched the surface. There's so much  to unpack with this new Hunger Games prequel. Tune in to hear our thoughts...

We're seven years late to reading Sally Rooney's Normal People , a time capsule that takes us back to the 2010s and explores the complex relationship between two Irish teenagers as they navigate high school, college, and early adulthood. If you've been enjoying the podcast, we would humbly ask that you support us in a few very simple ways. Leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcas...

Warning: This Episode is Cursed! Just kidding, but seriously, we tried recording this episode like three separate times and it felt like the forces of nature were conspiring against us! Even in the middle of this recording, we both got phone calls randomly, which we left part of the audio in for so you can see how truly chaotic this episode was.  Anyway, we've read a lot lately! If you want t...

This episode may sound familiar, because it is! Tune in for a timely re-release of this older episode where we discuss our favorite banned and challenged books.  This episode felt relevant when we first recorded it, and even more so now. We hope you'll consider adding some of our faves to your TBR in 2025!  Team Abigail:  The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Looking for Alaska by John...

Today, we're putting the ROMA into ROMAntasy with an Onyx Storm deep dive. We yapped for an hour and a half and it still wasn't enough to figure out what happened in this book & theorize what's going to come next.  Join us on this journey with our favorite shadow daddy Xaden & clueless heroine Violet.  Plus, recent reads:  Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar Trial of the S...

We reflect on our holiday reading experiences and recap our ambitious goals for 2024. Join us as we discuss our favorite books, share insights into reading strategies, and anticipate exciting upcoming releases to fill our TBRs. Emily's Mentions (we know there were many) The Natural Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Never Lie and The Housemaid Series by Freida McFadden I Kissed Shara Wheeler by C...

Our latest episode revisits the beloved Chronicles of Narnia, focusing particularly on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, exploring its impact on faith, morality, and our childhood memories. Together, we navigate how these themes resonate differently in adulthood, the complexities of C.S. Lewis’s biography, and the cultural conversations surrounding the stories. Don't forget to follow us...

In today's episode, we're taking a walk down memory lane for a recap of our reading in 2024! First, we'll revisit our goals for the year and update you on our successes and failures. Then, we're reviewing our five-star reads from 2024 (hint: Abigail is a little more judicious with this honor than Emily). Finally, we'll give you our BEST tips for success in 2025! Books we&a...

SIGN UP FOR OUR HOLIDAY BOOK SWAP: Click here to participate! Are you looking for the perfect gift for your book-obsessed friend? Look no further, we're here to guide you this year!  Listen to this episode to find the perfect gift for... The coastal grandmother in your life The goal-oriented, resolution-setter The person who's committed to protecting their peace The fired-up advocate The...

In preparation for the upcoming movie adaptation of beloved musical,  Wicked,  we're reading the source material by Gregory Maguire! Let's just be honest, we're not the biggest fans of this book, so if it's one of your beloveds please know we're approaching this with a critical eye. Fair warning! We love the musical, and we're apprehensively excited for the movie adap...

Escape your Election Day anxiety by exploring an imaginary world where book characters run for office! As always, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @readirectpodcast. And if you're seeing this before the polls close, don't forget to VOTE!

We're turning to our listeners for another round of book recommendations! We asked, and boy did you answer. We did our best to fit the brief and recommend books to add to your TBR. Plus a discussion of the cover reveals for the new Emily Henry and Hunger Games books! AHH!  Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @readirectpodcast.  

What happens when childhood friends reunite on a European food and wine tour? Join us as we explore this story of second chances and personal growth, while also celebrating McQuiston's knack for creating relatable, complex characters. We really liked this interview with Casey McQuiston in Rolling Stone . Abigail also recommends pairing  this book with the Somm documentary . Books We Read Rece...