Book Talk, Etc. Podcast

Episode: Our Under, Over, and Appropriately Hyped Books of 2025!

Hosts: Tina (@tbretc) & Hannah (@hanpickedbooks)
Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively, candid episode, Tina and Hannah dive into one of the most highly anticipated annual traditions of Book Talk, Etc.: discussing the books they found to be overhyped, underhyped, and appropriately hyped from 2025. With plenty of laughs, good-natured debates, and detailed recommendations—and anti-recommendations—this episode is a guide for listeners eager to fill their TBRs with titles worth their time while avoiding the year's literary letdowns. The episode also features the hosts’ recent reads, some “loving lately” lifestyle shares, and ends with bold predictions for the most-hyped books of 2026.

Contents

• Opening Banter & "Loving Lately" (00:00–15:16)
• Latest Reads (15:16–27:06)
• Approach to Over/Under/Appropriately Hyped Books (27:06–29:23)
• Overhyped Books of 2025 (29:23–48:56)
• Underhyped Books of 2025 (51:52–73:12)
• Appropriately Hyped Books of 2025 (73:30–94:11)
• 2026 Hype Predictions (94:11–97:18)
• Notable Quotes & Moments
• Memorable Book Descriptions

Opening Banter & "Loving Lately"

00:00–15:16

• Tina and Hannah kick off with their signature Midwest warmth and self-deprecating humor, marveling at each other's lack of prep and excitement for organic conversation.

• Tina’s “Loving Lately” (Beans/BeanTok)

  • She shares a surprisingly passionate ode to beans and the TikTok "BeanTok" trend, especially dense bean salads and breakfast bean tacos.
    • “Beans are really, really good for you. They are delicious. They are easy because you don’t have to cook them unless you want to, of course, but you don’t have to.” (05:00)
  • Amusing side conversation about how beans grow, with both hosts admitting their ignorance and inviting farmer listeners to correct them. (07:37–08:33)

• Hannah’s “Loving Lately”

  • A Book Riot article: “Young Adult Has Entered Its Awkward Adolescence, and It's Teens Who Are Losing Out” by Kelly Jensen.
    • Sparks a thoughtful discussion about the “adultification” of YA, market trends, and why true teen-centered YA is disappearing.
    • “If the bookshelves are labeled young adult but they’re not serving young adults anymore, who are these books actually for?” (12:11)
  • Both agree adults can and should read YA, but industry trends risk squeezing out actual teen readers.

Latest Reads

15:16–27:06

• Tina: A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar

  • Set in a dystopian near-future Kolkata; an immigrant family loses crucial documents right before emigrating, intertwining fates with a desperate thief.
    • “It is a book that will really have you questioning what’s right and what’s wrong. … And it is a book that examines the lengths you would go to to feed your children, to protect your family, and how that inherently means being selfish.” (18:51)
  • Praises the bleak, discussable nature and audio production.

• Hannah: The Passion Project by London Sperry

  • Contemporary romance about a grieving woman rebuilding her sense of passion—in life and love—through adventurous “passion projects” in NYC.
    • “She tackles anxiety with this one, depression, heavy sadness, while also having me giggling and kicking my feet on the next page.” (24:31)
  • Appreciates the nuanced portrayal of grief and two types of loss.

Approach to Over/Under/Appropriately Hyped Books

27:06–29:23

• Both emphasize that these picks reflect personal taste, not objective value judgments.
  • “If we happen to mention one of your faves as something we found overhyped, this is our personal taste…not necessarily us saying, ‘oh, this is a bad book.’” (27:06, Tina)
• Each sought to avoid crossover with their upcoming Best of 2025 picks.

Overhyped Books of 2025

29:23–48:56

Below, each book includes a brief summary and hosts’ reasons for disappointment.

• Tina:

  • Heart the Lover by Lily King
    • “I found this to be emotionally manipulative… I also didn’t buy the relationship…” (29:44)
  • Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
    • “I just didn’t love it… the main character wrote snarky social media for a potato company; it just grated on me.” (33:30)
  • Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
    • “This still read in a juvenile way… I didn’t find the mystery compelling.” (38:14)
  • Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben
    • “The biggest sin for me with this one is the dialogue. It was so cheesy.” (43:04)
  • The Tenant by Freida McFadden
    • “This was cheesy and riddled with plot holes… my least favorite book of 2025.” (47:24)

• Hannah:

  • Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
    • “Her books have not worked for me before, but her last book was a huge hit for me… was a disappointment that this one fell flat.” (31:15)
  • Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
    • “It felt a little bit empty… writing felt confusing, with lots of repetitive language.” (35:50)
  • Victorian Psycho by Virginia Fato
    • “I just didn’t find her [the main character] very interesting—deeply disturbing, but not unique.” (40:30)
  • The Unworthy by Agostina Bazterica
    • “It just got repetitive... very overly religious, cycling from prayer to punishment over and over.” (45:49)
  • Katabasis by RF Kuang
    • “I found myself struggling to finish… Alice grated on me.” (49:06)

Underhyped Books of 2025

51:52–73:12

Hidden gems the hosts urge more readers to discover.

• Tina:

  • The Great Man by Kyra Davis Laurie — Great Gatsby retelling among LA’s Black elite with legal/historical depth. (52:52)
  • Night Watcher by Daphne Wollsoncroft — Intense horror/thriller with gripping atmosphere. (56:15)
  • Sky Daddy by Kate Folk — Surreal literary novel about a woman with a sexual attraction to planes, but deeply human. “If you can get past the idea of someone being sexually attracted to planes… I highly recommend it.” (60:34)
  • Life and Death and Giants by Ron Rindo — Unusual, heartfelt coming-of-age of an Amish gentle giant, told through townsfolk perspectives. (64:17)
  • Woodworking by Emily St. James — Compelling story of a trans teacher and student in small-town South Dakota. (69:28)

• Hannah:

  • The Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace — Thriller set in a mid-century psych hospital with amnesia, visions, and great twists. (53:16)
  • In the Family Way by Lainey Katz Becker — 1960s drama of female friendship and shifting norms surrounding motherhood. (57:37)
  • The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar — Fantastical novella about enchanted sisters, family, and identity. “So small, but when you’re done reading it, you just can’t stop thinking about it.” (62:05)
  • Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin — Powerful coming-of-age about a queer Black Stanford grad navigating class, grief, and identity. (67:32)
  • The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker — Literary puzzle via post-partum amnesia and therapy transcripts, with strong audio. (70:52)

Appropriately Hyped Books of 2025

73:30–94:11

Books that received attention and fully deserved it, according to Tina and Hannah.

• Tina:

  • Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — 1980s NASA astronaut story blending romance and high-stakes disaster. “I couldn’t put it down.” (73:51)
  • The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown — A fresh, Da Vinci Code-esque thrill ride; exceeded expectations. (77:37)
  • Audition by Katie Kitamura — Literary, experimental, and Booker-shortlisted; “not fully sure that I understand it, but… it’s so provocative.” (81:25)
  • Katabasis by RF Kuang — For Tina, academic satire and wit hit the mark, echoing her own academia background. (85:32)
  • The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman — Well-written, fun entry into Thursday Murder Club cozy mystery series. (89:59)

• Hannah:

  • Conform by Ariel Sullivan — Dystopian, high-stakes romance for fans of Handmaid’s Tale/Hunger Games. (75:10)
  • Heartwood by Amity Gage — Suspenseful missing-person tale, with strong audio and mixed media format. (78:55)
  • Happyland by Dolan Perkins Valdez — Warm, hopeful historical fiction about Black Appalachian land and legacy. (83:16)
  • King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby — Dark, gritty family crime novel with vivid character work. (87:47)
  • Culpability by Bruce Holsinger — Oprah’s pick about family, AI, and ethics, with rich discussion potential. (92:01)

2026 Hype Predictions

94:11–97:18

• Tina:
  • Kin by Tayari Jones — Anticipated Southern family story, “been waiting... since An American Marriage.”
• Hannah:
  • Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy — Fiction debut from the bestselling memoirist; predicted to be “everywhere regardless [of reviews].”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On genre drift in YA:
  “When the market begins prioritizing adult tastes over teen needs, then teens are the ones who are losing these literary spaces that are supposed to be built specifically for them.” (12:11, Hannah)

• On taste differences:
  “It also helps listeners recognize, are they more of a Tina reader or a Hannah reader? Or maybe a blend of both?” (28:14, Hannah)

• On overhyped titles:
  “If it’s me, I’m not spending my last seven days on this earth arguing with people and trying to find my murderer. I might, but probably not.” (39:04, Tina on Not Quite Dead Yet)

• On quirky recommendations:
  “If you can get past the idea of someone being sexually attracted to planes… I highly recommend it. I will never forget Linda.” (60:34, Tina on Sky Daddy)

Memorable Book Descriptions

• A Guardian and a Thief praised as “clever and dark… until the last page.” (18:51)
• The Passion Project memorable for: “...yearning and pining... only one bed, but the room has a ton of antique dolls in it. So creepy and also cute.” (24:31)
• Victorian Psycho: “Didn’t bring anything particularly unique to the canon of chaotic weird girls.” (40:30, Hannah)
• The Once and Future Me: “This story went in directions I could have never seen coming, and I love that with a thriller book.” (54:09)
• Woodworking: “You do find out why it's called Woodworking via one of these side characters and they share their story in the most incredible way.” (70:52)

Episode Tone & Chemistry

• Candid and irreverent; the hosts don’t shy away from strong opinions, but always focus on context and personal taste.
• Lots of levity—running jokes about beans, vines, and social media (“the mighty bean,” “cutie patootie cinnamon roll golden boy,” etc.)
• Encouraging of reading outside one’s comfort zone and embracing one’s own reading quirks and limits.

Listener Takeaways

• Curated lists of books to seek out—or skip—in 2025, with deep context for each pick.
• Insight into how “hype” differs across communities and the importance of thoughtful, personal reviewing.
• Light-hearted but incisive commentary on publishing, genre conventions, and the evolution of book buzz.
• A sneak peek (and some FOMO) for 2026’s soon-to-be-buzzy titles.

For book titles and links, check the episode show notes or follow Book Talk, Etc. on Instagram.

Shout-outs

• Book Riot article by Kelly Jensen
• Upcoming reads referenced: Kin by Tayari Jones; Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
• Thanks to editors (“John” the unseen hero) and to the “bean folks of America” for tolerating their botanical digressions.

In the words of Tina and Hannah:

“Everything’s better with books.” (98:22)