Podcast Summary: "Books On Our SPRING TBR"

Podcast: I'll Read What She's Reading
Hosts: Kennedy (A), Mikayla (B), Reggie (C)
Release Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively spring episode, Kennedy, Mikayla, and Reggie dive into their Spring TBR (To-Be-Read) lists, recapping their winter reading goals, sharing honest reflections, and revealing the books they’re most excited (and nervous) to tackle next. Expect candid discussion of popular book club picks, buzzy BookTok titles, anticipated releases, and plenty of trademark banter as the hosts trade notes on moods, reading slumps, crying over novels, and the never-ending struggle of sticking to a TBR list.

1. Winter TBR Recap & Reflections

Starts: 00:57

Reggie’s Recap (03:34 – 08:23)

• DNFs: "Wild Reverence" by Rebecca Ross (“I was so bored. ...I think I DNF’d it around 46%.” – C, 02:58) and "We Begin at the End" by Chris Whitaker (04:20).
• Almost Finished: "Book of Doors" – enjoying it, but got sidetracked (05:57).
• Completed:
  • "Before I Let Go" by Kennedy Ryan ("I really liked the maturity of it, the depth." – C, 06:53)
  • "The Crash" by Freida McFadden ("It was a Frida McFadden, so it was a train wreck." – C, 06:53)
  • "Never Lie" (quick mention)
• Favorite: "Before I Let Go" (08:04).

Mikayla’s Recap (08:35 – 12:38)

• Completed:
  • "Good Spirits" by B.K. Borison (holiday book club pick; very cute)
  • "Wild Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaghy (“I just really didn’t like any of the characters.” – B, 09:18)
  • "Play Along" by Liz Tomforde (“Play Along was my favorite.” – B, 12:28)
• Reading/Future:
  • "Crown of Gilded Bones" (From Blood and Ash #3; just started)
  • "The Second Death of Locke" by V.E. Bolioni (not started yet).
• Favorite: "Play Along"

Kennedy’s Recap (13:35 – 19:22)

• Completed:
  • "The Devils" by Joe Abercrombie (“…don’t know if Joe Abercrombie is the writer for me.” – A, 13:35)
  • "Society of Unknowable Objects" by Gareth Brown (a follow-up to "Book of Doors"; “It also was a lot more violent.” – A, 14:54)
  • "And Now Back to You" by B.K. Borison (“very trope-filled…good banter.” – A, 15:36)
  • "From Blood and Ash" by Jennifer L. Armentrout (“…the entire time I was kind of wondering, where are the vampires?” – A, 16:42)
  • "A Man Called Uwe" by Fredrik Backman (“…I loved this book so much, you guys.” – A, 17:43)
• Favorite: "A Man Called Uwe"

2. Spring TBR Picks & Hopes

Starts: 20:04

Reggie’s Spring TBR

• Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (Friends-to-lovers with a wedding twist; "It's something I'm gonna just gobble up." – C, 22:13 / [20:04])
• Real by Kennedy Ryan (Hollywood/Broadway romance; “Love me some Hollywood, love me some Broadway.” – C, 28:55)
• Direbound (Fantasy; thick, new series, "…about a girl going to save her sister...and some wolves." – C, 35:16)
• 5050 by Steve Cavanagh (Courtroom thriller: “Two sisters on trial for murder. Both accuse each other. Who do you believe?” – C, 44:16 / [44:17])
• The Bright Ears by Sarah Damif (“You need an emotional gut punch every once in a while.” – C, 58:30)

Mikayla’s Spring TBR

• In Her Own League (Springtime, baseball romance, “They're just like a little warm hug.” – B, 24:51)
• The Everlasting by Alex E. Harrow (“I’m intrigued. Standalone is perfect.” – B, 30:27)
• Consider Me by Becca Mack (Hockey sports romance, “People said it gives you similar feels as the Windy City series.” – B, 41:08)
• The Light We Met by Abby Jimenez (“I hope with that trope specifically, it’s done tastefully.” – B, 51:04)
• Metal Slinger (Buzzy fantasy duology; “I just gotta know what this is all about.” – B, 62:16)

Kennedy’s Spring TBR

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (“My mom picked this … I just want to cry, you know?” – A, 26:25)
• Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (Fantasy standalone: “I wanted a standalone fantasy … I don’t know if it’s going to put me in a slump.” – A, 31:40)
• This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (Heartfelt: “The gift is 12 carefully chosen books from Jo, one for each month to help her turn the page on her first year without him.” – A, 42:04)
• The Women by Kristin Hannah (Vietnam War historical fiction, “I think I just want to read more of hers...she took ten years to write.” – B, 53:52)
• Jade City by Fonda Lee (“Jade City is a gripping Godfather-esque saga...Magic and Kung Fu.” – A, 65:24)

3. Book Discussion Highlights & Memorable Moments

Reading Slumps and Mood Reading

• On not forcing yourself to finish books:
  “So many books, so little time. If I’m not feeling something, I am going to ... just be done.” – C (03:23)
• “Sometimes you’re just a mood reader, you know.” – C (08:24)

Judging Books by Covers & Trends

• Kennedy Ryan’s cover glow-up debate: “I don’t like real people on covers before someone comes for me...” – A (27:58)
• Hockey romance fatigue: “Why are the majority of sports romances ... hockey?” – A (38:35) “Give me a soccer romance. Give me a pickleball.” – A (38:07)

On Crying Over Books

• “I cry over everything. … I think I cry at least once a day.” – A (26:34)
• “I think, I think part of the reason ... It’s about generational trauma.” – A on "The Bright Ears" (60:04)
• Mikayla on "The Women": “If Michaela cried, I’m gonna, like, really ... I remember exactly where I was. I was on a walk.” – B (56:33)

BookTok FOMO & Picking Books

• “My FOMO is through the roof.” – B re: In Her Own League (24:07)
• On picking thick books:
  “I have been meaning to read this book for probably six months...” – A re: Warbreaker (31:04)

Banter & Chaotic Chemistry

• On character names:
  “Are they 90? ... Frankie and George.” – B (22:32)
• On multiple sports:
  “I need the California...I need the basketball.” – C (40:18)
• “That’s what I love about this podcast. We don’t take ourselves too seriously ... We’re just three girls candidly chatting.” – A (66:32)

4. Notable Quotes & Standout Segments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 03:23 | Reggie | “So many books, so little time. If I’m not feeling something, I am going to ... just be done.” | | 12:28 | Mikayla | “Play Along was my favorite.” | | 17:43 | Kennedy | “I loved this book so much, you guys. ... If someone came to me and asked, I want to read Fredrik Backman. Where should I start? I think I would recommend this book.” | | 20:04 | Reggie | “Let's start with my first book is a new release ... Our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune.” | | 31:40 | Kennedy | “I wanted a standalone fantasy ... I don’t know if it’s going to put me in a slump.” | | 42:04 | Kennedy | “…the gift is 12 carefully chosen books from Jo, one for each month to help her turn the page on her first year without him.” | | 44:17 | Reggie | “Two sisters on trial for murder. Both accuse each other. Who do you believe?” | | 62:16 | Mikayla | “I just gotta know what this is all about.” (re: Metal Slinger) | | 66:32 | Kennedy | “That’s what I love about this podcast. We don’t take ourselves too seriously … We’re just three girls candidly chatting.” |

5. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Winter TBR Reflections: 00:57 – 19:22
• Spring TBR Picks Begin: 20:04
• Sports Romance Discussion: 37:11–41:31
• Heartfelt Reads (“This Book Made Me Think of You”, “The Women”, “The Bright Ears”): 41:34 – 59:02
• Fantasy & Duology Chatter (Metal Slinger, Direbound): 62:14 on
• Group Banter & Wrap-up: 66:32 – episode end

6. Spring Book Club Pick Announcement

• Book: Shelda Sparrows and Rites of the Starling by Debney Perry
• [64:20] “Our spring book club book is Shelda Sparrows and Rites of the Starling by Debney Perry.”

7. Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Warm, honest, relatable: Hosts openly admit to DNF’ing books and mood reading
• Playful banter about BookTok trends, book covers, and sports romance tropes
• Emotional reads: Several picks are anticipated to deliver “gut punch” feels and catharsis
• Community Focus: Encouragement to comment/share listeners’ TBRs, plus book club and Patreon community shout-outs

8. Listener Value

• Hear honest, sometimes contrarian opinions of hyped books (including DNF rationales)
• Get a range of TBR inspiration: buzzy TikTok reads, beloved classics, up-and-coming releases, across genres (romance, fantasy, thriller, historical fiction)
• Enjoy the infectious camaraderie and don’t-take-yourself-too-seriously approach to book clubbing

Closing Remark:
As Kennedy put it, “That’s what I love about this podcast. We don’t take ourselves too seriously ... We’re just three girls candidly chatting.” (66:32) – and this episode’s wide-ranging, fun, and surprisingly deep conversation lives up to that spirit.