Book Talk for BookTok

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of literacy"...

This week, Jac and Amy sit down with bestselling fantasy romance author Elise Kova to dig into Prince of Swords, the highly anticipated sequel to Arcana Academy. The conversation covers the tarot-inspired magic system at the heart of the Arcana series, the emotional toll of writing Clara through two brutal book openings, and the deliberate (and not-so-deliberate) tension that keeps Clara and Kaeli...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of literacy"...

We are currently surviving, not thriving, before we dive into Sarah J Maas' House of Flame and Shadow. This means we're discussing other book-ish topics while we prepare our analysis, and discuss topics that bring us joy. And today, that's Vamprism in the Romance genre. From Gothic villain to swoon-worthy love interest, this episode traces the vampire's transformation across literary history. We s...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decli...

Author Liz Shipton joins us to talk about her new feminist dystopian fantasy novel Mother & Slaughter — a bold, genre-bending story set in a world where women are stripped of their magic at birth and forced to choose between two paths: mother or gladiator. In this author interview, Liz breaks down how she uses fantasy to explore heavy real-world themes, patriarchy, motherhood and choice, women's f...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decli...

We are currently surviving, not thriving, before we dive into Sarah J Maas' House of Flame and Shadow. This means we're discussing other book-ish topics while we prepare our analysis, and discuss topics that bring us joy. And today, that's Carmilla. Before Dracula. Before Edward Cullen. Before TikTok's favorite romantasy vampire boyfriends — there was Carmilla. In this episode of Book Talk for Boo...

On today's episode, we're still in the ACOSF world! Some might say we are currently surviving, not thriving, and we need some content to get us through the next few weeks. We will be back with our House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas analysis, but for now, we will be discussing books and topics that bring us (and hopefully you) joy. For today's episode, we are reading your submissions and DMs...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of...

On today's episode, we're still in the ACOSF world! Some might say we are currently surviving, not thriving, and we need some content to get us through the next few weeks. We will be back with our House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas analysis, but for now, we will be discussing books and topics that bring us (and hopefully you) joy. For today's episode, we are reading your submissions and DMs...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of...

As we wrap up our A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas analysis, we take a quick break to revisit your favorite made-up Taylor Swift game! Jac and Amy each come with a quote from Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl album and the other person has to guess what ACOTAR character they are thinking about. Does it make sense? Not entirely. Do they know what they are doing? Hardly. Will Amy get fed...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our three-part series discussing Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of...

We’re Amy and Jac, co-hosts of Book Talk for BookTok, bringing over 13 years of combined academic training in literary analysis to break down the stories you love. Our work focuses on unpacking metaphor, symbolism, imagery, and character development using multiple critical lenses to deepen your reading experience. This season, we’re diving into A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, exploring...

Dive into our literary analysis of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, the bestselling author behind the global phenomenon A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). In this season, we break down ACOSF through an academic lens, using our combined 13 years of literary training to analyze Nesta Archeron’s character arc, Cassian and Nesta’s relationship, and the deeper themes driving Sarah J. Maas’...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we discuss the movie and musical adaptation of The Color Purple by Alice Walker. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of lite...

We’re Amy and Jac, co-hosts of Book Talk for BookTok, bringing over 13 years of combined academic training in literary analysis to break down the stories you love. Our work focuses on unpacking metaphor, symbolism, imagery, and character development using multiple critical lenses to deepen your reading experience. This season, we’re diving into A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, exploring...

Dive into our literary analysis of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, the bestselling author behind the global phenomenon A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). In this season, we break down ACOSF through an academic lens, using our combined 13 years of literary training to analyze Nesta Archeron’s character arc, Cassian and Nesta’s relationship, and the deeper themes driving Sarah J. Maas’...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we continue our discussion of The Color Purple by Alice Walker with an advanced analysis. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "declin...

We’re Amy and Jac, co-hosts of Book Talk for BookTok, bringing over 13 years of combined academic training in literary analysis to break down the stories you love. Our work focuses on unpacking metaphor, symbolism, imagery, and character development using multiple critical lenses to deepen your reading experience. This season, we’re diving into A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, exploring...

Dive into our literary analysis of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, the bestselling author behind the global phenomenon A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). In this season, we break down ACOSF through an academic lens, using our combined 13 years of literary training to analyze Nesta Archeron’s character arc, Cassian and Nesta’s relationship, and the deeper themes driving Sarah J. Maas’...

Welcome to Academia Unlocked, our literary deep-dive series on Book Talk for BookTok! In this episode, we kick off our four-part series discussing The Color Purple by Alice Walker. With over 13 years of combined academic training in literature and creative writing, we walk listeners through the foundational tools of reading beyond the surface. The book community talks about the "decline of literac...

We’re Amy and Jac, co-hosts of Book Talk for BookTok, bringing over 13 years of combined academic training in literary analysis to break down the stories you love. Our work focuses on unpacking metaphor, symbolism, imagery, and character development using multiple critical lenses to deepen your reading experience. This season, we’re diving into A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, exploring...

Dive into our literary analysis of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, the bestselling author behind the global phenomenon A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). In this season, we break down ACOSF through an academic lens, using our combined 13 years of literary training to analyze Nesta Archeron’s character arc, Cassian and Nesta’s relationship, and the deeper themes driving Sarah J. Maas’...