Fantasy Fangirls: Fantasy FanReads Cup of Conversations
Episode Date: April 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special crossover snippet, Fantasy Fangirls presents the inaugural solo “Cup of Conversations” episode from their new network podcast, Fantasy Fan Reads, hosted by Jess (of Lost Books of Jess). Jess settles in for a cozy, spoiler-free deep dive into fan-submitted reading topics, picking questions at random from her “magical mug.” With warmth, humor, and plenty of bookish nostalgia, Jess explores how she approaches foreshadowing, book selection, her formative childhood reads, and what reading means to her, blending personal anecdotes with relatable millennial nostalgia and readerly quirks.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Meet Jess: Cozy Intros and Get-to-Know-Me (01:10 – 05:20)

• Jess welcomes listeners, sets a spoiler-free, friendly tone, and shares encouragement to follow and support the new podcast.

• She launches into a self-interview, sharing her current reads and her beverage of choice:

  • Currently Reading:
    • The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (“this book is kicking my rear, but I am determined to power through because I trust the Cosmere fans...” – 02:13)
    • Direbound by Sable Sorenson (“...I gotta know if these wolves are gonna warm up to any. I just, I gotta know things.” – 02:41)
  • Favorite Warm Beverage:
    • “...just definitely a cup of coffee... plain coffee with maybe some vanilla flavored creamer. I do like my coffee on the sweeter side, but coffee all the way.” – 03:02
  • Dream Coffee Date:
    • Lysandra from Throne of Glass and Misha from Crowns of Nyaxia.

• On the joy of reading:

  • “Reading brings me joy because it makes me feel less alone in this world... It makes me feel connected to the author, the characters, my friends or strangers who have also read the book.” – 04:30

2. How Jess Picks Up on Foreshadowing (05:22 – 10:28)

• Jess discusses her analytical approach to reading and how she spots foreshadowing:
  • “I feel like I have a puzzle solving brain. I always have. I love crosswords, word puzzles, sudokus... logic is like the name of my game.” – 06:02
  • She reads with an eye for unusual word use, character behavior changes, and repeated details, noting them for later.
  • Notable anecdote: Accidentally predicting a major twist in the Mistborn trilogy (“...the Internet went wild because I accidentally used a word that was going to be very important later. That was an accident. I had no idea.” – 07:31)
  • Jess emphasizes a mix of analytical detail and luck in catching hidden clues.
  • “Sometimes I just want to be a passenger princess and just show up at the plot twist and be like, gosh darn it, I saw none of that coming.” – 08:23
  • Takes notes in a notebook—not in the book or highlights.

3. Book Selection: Mood, Hype, and Chaos (10:29 – 14:45)

• Jess outlines her evolving process for choosing what to read:
  • Past: Browsing displays in bookstores or libraries, especially “what readers love” or “Lucky Day” shelves – “...if other people are checking it out, there must be something to it.” – 11:12
  • Present: Recommendations from social media, fellow readers, authors, and curated lists.
  • “I have a really sad and scary TBR spreadsheet... It is a feral wasteland. It started organized. I had intentions.” – 12:04
  • Adds a “priority” column, but admits mood always wins: “It’s a menu, not a schedule.”
  • Openly influenced by hype but always a little behind.
  • Admits to being a mood reader—sometimes can’t force herself to read hyped books unless the timing is right.
  • “I don’t know how to be a more organized mood reader. How do you organize your mood? You don’t. That’s the whole point of a mood.” – 13:09
  • Maxes out at reading two books at once; struggles to keep up if juggling formats.
  • “The answer to that question could have just been chaos. That’s all I’ve got.” – 14:29

4. Formative Youth Reads and Millennial Bookworm Nostalgia (14:46 – 20:10)

• Jess shares vivid memories of childhood and teen reading:
  • Early favorites: Berenstain Bears picture books (“one of my most prized possessions” – 15:24) and American Girl Doll books (Felicity > Kirsten, non-negotiable).
  • Treasured moments: Reading aloud with her mom, feeling successful as a reader, and staying up late to read.
  • Other milestones:
    • Where the Red Fern Grows (“heaving, sobbing at and being really broken by a book, but also put back together at the same time” – 16:54)
    • Holes, Ringer, Goosebumps, Boxcar Children, Little House on the Prairie, Sideways Stories from Wayside School (elementary school “trophy” read).
  • Memories of Scholastic Book Fairs, flyers, and the thrill of choosing new books.
  • Young adulthood: The “Harry Potter generation” (staying up for midnight releases) and the Twilight craze.
  • On feeling self-conscious about reading as a hobby growing up: “As a kid, I don’t think it was something I ran around being like, I’m a reader—look at my T shirt with book characters on it—and I wish I had.” – 18:59
  • Advice to her younger self: “This is the best hobby you can feed into... keep doing it. She did. She didn’t give up on reading, but I would have told her to be a little bit more proud of being a reader.” – 19:19

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Reading and Connection:
  “Even though reading can be a highly solo activity and a very individualized experience, it makes me feel connected to the author who wrote the story, the characters within the story, my friends or strangers who have also read the book.” – Jess (04:30)

• On Analytical Reading:
  “There are a few [twists] that have walloped me. Hello, metal slinger. Anyone else get completely slapped sideways by that one? I had no clue upon a reread. I was like, I see what you did there, but on the first read, no way.” – Jess (08:54)

• On TBR Struggles & Mood Reading:
  “I don’t know how to be a more organized mood reader. Like, how do you organize your mood? You don’t. That’s the whole point of a mood.” – Jess (13:09)

• On Formative Book Memories:
  “Books were something that were always a yes when I was growing up, getting new books and having new stories. And I so much appreciate that my mom and dad and grandparents and aunts and uncles did that for me because I truly cherished those stories.” – Jess (17:44)

• On Millennial Book Fairs:
  “Do any of you remember the little, like, it felt like newspaper—the flyers that our teachers would give us? ...That was like core elementary school memories for me.” – Jess (19:46)

Memorable Moments & Listener Resonance

• Jess’s delighted self-interview and banter set an inviting, friendly tone.
• Her confessions about TBR chaos and mood reading will resonate with many book lovers.
• The “American Girl Doll” and Scholastic Book Fair stories evoke strong generational nostalgia.
• Her warmth and earnestness about the connective power of reading shine throughout the episode.

Suggested Listening Timestamps for Main Segments

• 01:10 – Introduction and Current Reads & Coffee Chat
• 05:22 – Analytical Reading & Foreshadowing
• 10:29 – Book Selection Process
• 14:46 – Childhood & Youth Reading Memories

Summary:
Jess’s “Cup of Conversations” episode is a cozy, personal, and heartfelt look at the joys and quirks of being a lifelong reader. With candid takes on reading habits, book choosing chaos, and formative literary memories, this episode perfectly balances warmth, self-effacing humor, and deep bookish love—a must-listen for fantasy lovers and nostalgic bookworms alike.