Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club

Episode: Hayley Kiyoko’s Love Story Gets a Queer Victorian Remix

Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Danielle Robay
Guests: Charlotte McConaughey and Hayley Kiyoko

Episode Overview

In this vibrant episode, journalist Danielle Robay hosts a double feature:

1. An interview with Charlotte McConaughey about her gothic eco-thriller and Reese’s Book Club pick, Wild Dark Shore.
2. A deep dive with singer, actress, and author Hayley Kiyoko, whose new novel Where There’s Room For Us artfully blends queer romance and Victorian flair—with a splash of autobiographical inspiration.

The episode explores literary optimism amid dark subjects, reimagining classic genres with queer perspectives, catharsis in art, and the importance of joyful, authentic representation.

1. Wild Dark Shore with Charlotte McConaughey

[03:56 – 15:17]

Book Introduction & Themes

• McConaughey’s Wild Dark Shore is a “romantic gothic mystery” and “an eco-thriller” centered on a father and his children on a storm-battered island, upended by the arrival of a mysterious woman ([04:20]).

• Themes include love, loss, ecological crisis, and the fear of raising children in a collapsing world.

  “It is about how far we go for the people we love.” – Charlotte McConaughey ([04:20])

Literary Craft & Notable Moments

• McConaughey is proud of the ending, describing it as “contentious” but true to the story ([05:12]).

• Danielle requests a reading, leading to a raw passage on paternal guilt:

  “Most likely. I don’t know why, but it may also be because for one brief moment long ago, I wished him dead.” – Charlotte McConaughey reading Dominic Salt ([06:40])

  McConaughey explains this reveals Dominic’s core conflict and how he’s shaped by grief and trauma after his wife’s death ([06:56]).

Literary Motivation & Audience

• McConaughey says she writes “to make sense of something within yourself”—in this case, her own transition into motherhood and fears about the world her children will inherit ([08:28]).

• The book is “a love letter” to her children and an act of hope:

  “To sit down and put pen to paper, trying to make something beautiful out of this chaos… is an act of defiance and hope, even when I didn’t feel that way.” ([10:08])

Community Engagement & Endings

• Listeners are invited to share their favorite “seed story” from the novel, and McConaughey is keen to hear reactions to the ending ([11:43]).

• On endings, McConaughey is a believer in “the right ending for each book,” not necessarily a happy one:

  “I certainly don’t think they all need to be happy. But we do need some sense that, like, it wasn’t just totally for nothing and that this is the most depressing thing ever.” ([13:12])

Becoming a Reese’s Book Club Pick

• McConaughey recounts telling her partner first, joking, “We always used to joke about one day Reese would come knocking… and so, of course, I had to run and tell him this” ([13:49]).
• Danielle notes the supportive “sisterhood” among club authors ([15:01]), with McConaughey delighted: “That is not something I expected. So I’m very happy and excited to hear that.” ([15:02])

2. Hayley Kiyoko’s Queer Victorian Romantasy

[22:12 – 68:03]

Queer Literary Icon & Nickname Origins

• Hayley Kiyoko, introduced as “Lesbian Jesus,” shares the quirky story behind the fan-bestowed moniker:

  “I always wanted to have a nickname growing up… it feels like it’s healing my inner child having, like, a nickname, even if it is Lesbian Jesus.” ([23:49])

New Book: Where There’s Room For Us

• Kiyoko’s sophomore novel is a “queer romantasy” set in the Victorian era—loosely inspired by her own love story with fiancé Becca Tilly ([22:52]).
• The story follows Ivy, a wild American poet, and Freya, a British aristocrat bound by family duty—mirroring Kiyoko and Tilly’s real-life backgrounds.

Why Victorian?

• Kiyoko was drawn to period romance (think Pride and Prejudice, Bridgerton) but wanted to “queer the narrative.”

• She acknowledges that as an Asian, queer woman, she wouldn’t “thrive” in true Victorian society, so she creates a “queer hyper-reality”:

  “I don’t know if I can have a hopeful ending… so that’s when I was like, maybe it’s a queer hyper reality. What does a world look like if you could be queer in the 1800s, freely?” ([29:34])

Inspiration & Real-Life Roots

• Kiyoko recounts meeting her partner Becca at her album release party; a “meet cute” involving Becca’s younger sister inspired the romantic setup for her novel ([27:51]).
• She’s excited to embed real moments within her fictional world, asking: would falling in love still be hard even in a reimagined, more accepting historical setting?

Writing Process & Creative Catharsis

• Kiyoko contrasts songwriting (concise, emotional) and novel writing (expansive, immersive):

  “When you’re writing a song… how do I tell my story with the most minimal amounts of words… But when you’re writing a book, you could talk about someone’s jacket for like three pages.” ([38:39])

• Writing novels gives her new freedom, moving beyond strict creative parameters of directing/music videos to world-building without limits.

• Storytelling, for Kiyoko, is about “healing the part where you feel like you don’t belong”—creating art that fills that “hole in your heart” ([42:19]).

Representation & Queer Joy

• Kiyoko finds power and emotion in being herself authentically:

  “Being yourself is the most powerful thing you can do. … So many people in this world do not believe that they can be themselves and thrive.” ([54:45])

• Joy for her means simple pleasures—friends, being present, cooking. She emphasizes refueling for queer and marginalized people as a radical act ([57:20]).

• She hopes her work creates “hopeful narratives and expands queer representation,” and wants to “ignite hope” for others ([57:53]).

Style, Identity, & Self-Discovery

• Kiyoko laughs about her many “eras”—pop star, director, novelist, style icon—and how she’s embracing her real self more as she matures:

  “Every year you’re stripping away… You hit a point where you almost do like a full circle… I’m kind of going back to who I have always been.” ([54:45])

Real Love & Artistic Growth

• On her relationship with Becca: “the love that Becca and I have has gone beyond what I thought love was,” noting the strength that comes from facing differences head-on ([61:44]).
• Writing about a healed, authentic love is a new chapter; past work often centered on “toxic relationships and situationships” ([64:13]).

Easter Eggs & Fun Elements

• The novel contains Easter eggs for fans—character and horse names (“Citrine”), references to song titles, and details from real life ([65:01]).

Book Recommendations & Literary Speed Round

(Speed Read: [65:39])

• Trope to ban: “Queer trauma in general, or like the gay best friend that’s one dimensional.” ([66:12])
• Trope to defend: “Falling in love with an emotionally unavailable person.” ([66:24])
• Book she wishes she’d written: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo ([66:34])
• Favorite recommendation: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin ([66:44])
• Best unread book: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee ([66:57])
• Memoir narrator: “Sandra Bullock.” ([67:09])
• Book that shaped her worldview: The Four Agreements ([67:17])

Notable Quotes & Insightful Moments

• “It’s revolutionary to be yourself.” – Hailey Kiyoko ([56:03])
• “My dream is to create hopeful narratives and expand queer representation through music, films and novels for the rest of my life.” ([57:53])
• “If it resonates with me, it will resonate with others.” ([43:08])
• “Women and warm tones.” (On what connects all her artwork) ([59:16])

Key Timestamps

• Wild Dark Shore & Charlotte McConaughey

  • [03:56] Book Club pick intro with Charlotte McConaughey
  • [05:56] Reading a critical passage
  • [08:28] Why she wrote the book
  • [11:43] Questions for the audience
  • [13:49] Sharing her Reese’s Book Club moment

• Hayley Kiyoko Interview

  • [22:12] Introduction to Kiyoko and her new novel
  • [23:49] Origins of “Lesbian Jesus”
  • [25:23] Why Victorian era as queer setting
  • [27:51] Retelling her meet cute with Becca
  • [29:34] Hyper-reality and queering history
  • [37:29] Writing as therapy and expansive world-building
  • [54:45] The power and struggle of being oneself
  • [57:20] What Queer Joy looks like now
  • [61:30] How love with Becca is healing
  • [65:01] Hidden Easter eggs in her book
  • [65:39] Speed read book round
  • [68:03] Sign-off

Episode Tone

Warm, conversational, and inclusive—balancing literary passion with personal vulnerability and humor. Both guests are candid about their fears, hopes, and the desire to create worlds that not only reflect their truths but also offer hope and joy to others, especially those often omitted from traditional narratives.

For Listeners

This episode is a compelling listen for anyone who:

• Loves bookish deep-dives and author insights
• Is interested in queer, diverse, and hopeful storytelling
• Wants tips on writing, creativity, and navigating vulnerability
• Enjoys real-life love stories and their literary reinterpretations
• Needs a dose of self-love, encouragement, and intentional joy

Memorable Ending (Hayley Kiyoko, [68:03]):

“Trust the three guides inside of you: your intuition, your nervous system, and your values. When in doubt, close your eyes and feel your truth.” (Quoting Young Pueblo)