Fresh TBR Picks From Goodreads

Summary

"I’ll Read What She’s Reading" Podcast
Episode: Fresh TBR Picks From Goodreads
Date: February 25, 2026
Hosts: Reggie (A), Kennedy (B), Mikayla (C)

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Episode Overview

This episode introduces a new, Patreon-requested format: each host shares five of their latest “To Be Read” (TBR) additions from Goodreads. The conversation is fast, fun, and filled with chaotic bookish banter, covering a mix of brand-new releases, hyped-up fantasy series, emotional literary fiction, and quirky romance picks. As always, the tone is lively, relatable, and sometimes unhinged as the hosts debate book adaptations, share personal stories, and interrogate each other’s reading plans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Format & Approach

• Each host brings five recent TBR adds (unread, unknown, but promising) [00:41].
• Discussion is intentionally chaotic—sometimes the hosts haven't even read the synopsis!
• Recurring theme: BookTok hype vs. actual quality, and the woes of starting series without full release dates.

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Notable TBR Picks and Commentary

Michaela’s Picks

• The Everlasting by Alex E. Harrow [00:56]

  • Highly rated (4.3 avg), lots of BookTok buzz for its romance.
  • Going in blind: “You guys know me, I like to go into books blind, and I've just seen a lot of really great things about it.” (C, 01:26)
  • Cover love and intrigue; Kennedy’s had mixed experience with the author.

• Rings of Fate by Melissa De La Cruz [08:24]

  • “Barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairytales” meets a cursed prince in a dual POV fantasy romantasy.
  • Ratings are middling (3.59), but the Lord of the Rings vibes are intriguing.

• Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks [15:24]

  • Mortuary rom-com: mortician must marry before 35th birthday to inherit family business.
  • “Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner and a movie.” (C, 15:54)
  • Leads to surprising real-life mortician stories from the hosts.

• Daggermouth by H.M. Wolf [24:27]

  • Dystopian, Kindle Unlimited, hyped on BookTok as “how you write dystopian romance.”
  • Concerns about BookTok hype accuracy, dark romance elements, but high expectations.
  • Next book coming June 2026.

• To Heist Do Us Part (and preceding book) by [Author not specified in transcript] [33:04]

  • Gifting books within the group; spy/heist elements; started with book two but plans to read in order.

Kennedy’s Picks

• Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufy Thorpe [02:42]

  • Elle Fanning starring in TV adaptation (Apple TV).
  • Plot: single mom starts OnlyFans after job loss, “funny, heartwarming, Frederick Backman-ish” (despite some disagreement on tone).

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë [09:41]

  • Upcoming Patreon Book Club pick, linked to a new adaptation.
  • Kennedy shares intimidation around classics and concerns about language accessibility.

• How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle by Alyssa de Rogotis [18:49]

  • Rom-com featuring a romance author orchestrating meet-cutes, possibly friends-to-lovers.
  • “She is trying to put herself in situations where she gets meet-cutes in order to find the love of her life, and none of them are working out.” (B, 19:09)

• Spectacular Things by Beck Dori-Stein [27:25]

  • Literary fiction: two sisters, single mom, family secrets, expected to be emotional.
  • Semi-autobiographical resonance for Kennedy: “Anything with a single mom makes me cry.” (B, 28:53)

• Exiles by Mason Coyle [33:40]

  • Sci-fi psychological thriller: humans colonize Mars, sentient robots, a missing person and mystery.
  • Short, intense: “A lot has got to happen in 200 pages with that kind of plot line.” (C, 35:03)

Reggie’s Picks

• The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead [06:00]

  • Rockstar drama, grief, healing, and friendship—marketed as “for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six”.
  • Wariness over the comparison: “In my mind, nothing really tops Daisy Jones...” (A, 06:45)

• Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky [11:33]

  • Highly-praised, intimidating sci-fi series about humanity’s survival and space colonization.
  • Overwhelming BookTok and Goodreads hype: “People are saying this is one of the best books I’ve ever read... an unqualified masterpiece.” (A, 14:07)
  • Intimidation as a barrier to starting long, “smart” sci-fi.

• We Who Will Die by Stasia Stark [20:05]

  • New fantasy series: vampires, arena competition, “for fans of Carissa Broadbent and Rebecca Yarros,” with a wild ending.
  • Reluctance to start until more books are out: “It’s really exhausting to start a book, love it, and then have to wait for the next book.” (A, 22:32)

• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell [29:23]

  • Literary historical fiction, based on the story behind Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
  • Deeply emotional, “wrote the dedication and I was crying.” (A, 30:43)
  • Considered both historically accurate and speculative fiction.

• Heart the Lover by Lily King [35:22]

  • Literary fiction: emotional story spanning decades, involving complicated friendships and retrospection.
  • “I feel like this is a book that will emotionally wreck me… It celebrates love, friendship, and the transformative nature of forgiveness.” (A, 36:54)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On BookTok Hype Fatigue:

  • “I've been burned so many times by BookTok. And so I'm like, are you guys lying to me?” (C, 25:04)
  • “I really have no idea what it's about. I've just seen people rave about it being dystopian, and I didn't wanna read anymore because it gave away stuff.” (C, 26:29)

• On Classic Literature:

  • “Classics just intimidate me for some weird reason. But maybe this is going to broaden my horizons.” (B, 11:02)
  • “I have a friend who started to listen to it and she said it's just really hard because the verbiage used is so different to what we're used to in today's like day and age.” (B, 11:02)

• Mortician Life Tangent:

  • “What would you guys do if you found out, like, you went on a date with someone? You're like, ‘yeah, I own a mortuary.’” (C, 16:58)
  • “I know some cool morticians. I think morticians are awesome. Someone's got to do it.” (A, 17:11)
  • Reggie’s mom does hair for people at the mortuary: “No, like, this is the last time everyone's going to see them, like, on this earth, you know?” (A, 18:27)

• The Perils of Series Reading:

  • “It’s really exhausting to start a book, love it, and then have to wait for the next book and then be like, okay, wait, enough time has passed that I have to either reread this or watch like a three hour deep dive synopsis on YouTube.” (A, 22:34)

• TBR Chaos:

  • “It is hard, though, because sometimes I just put random stuff on my Goodreads and I never get to it.” (B, 37:29)
  • “I should probably go through and edit my TBR on Goodreads a little bit, because sometimes I get really overwhelmed.” (A, 37:51)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:41] - Episode premise & format
• [00:56–02:31] - The Everlasting (Alex E. Harrow, discussion, BookTok romance hype)
• [02:42–05:52] - Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Rufy Thorpe, adaptation chat, BookTok recommendations)
• [06:00–08:19] - The Future Saints (Ashley Winstead, rockstar novels, “Daisy Jones” comps)
• [08:24–09:29] - Rings of Fate (Melissa De La Cruz, fantasy romantasy overview)
• [09:41–11:33] - Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë, classic intimidation & adaptations)
• [11:33–14:46] - Children of Time (Adrian Tchaikovsky, sci-fi, series fears)
• [15:24–18:26] - Morbidly Yours (Ivy Fairbanks, mortician rom-com and real-life stories)
• [18:49–20:00] - How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle (Alyssa de Rogotis, meet-cute rom-com)
• [20:05–24:27] - We Who Will Die (Stasia Stark, fantasy series, release timing woes)
• [24:27–26:56] - Daggermouth (H.M. Wolf, dystopian romance, dark themes, next release date)
• [27:25–29:13] - Spectacular Things (Beck Dori-Stein, family drama, single mom lens)
• [29:23–32:51] - Hamnet (Maggie O’Farrell, Shakespeare, heart-wrenching fiction)
• [33:04–33:39] - To Heist Do Us Part (spy/heist standalone, out-of-order reading)
• [33:40–35:13] - Exiles (Mason Coyle, Mars colonization, sentient robots, short sci-fi)
• [35:22–37:12] - Heart the Lover (Lily King, emotional literary fiction)
• [37:29–38:38] - TBR organization chaos & “read your earliest” challenge

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Closing Thoughts

This episode is a whirlwind of fresh book recommendations, lighthearted skepticism over BookTok trends, and cozy insights into the hosts’ reading habits. The group’s chemistry shines through their tangents (morticians, emotional book trauma, and the pain of waiting for sequels), but the value for listeners is clear: a robust, conversational list of promising TBR additions—warts, doubts, and all.

"Hopefully you were able to add some books to your TBR. Let us know if you liked this kind of episode.... We've never done a TBR episode like this." (B, 38:38)

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Connect with the podcast: @whatcheesereadingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Want to vote on episodes? Join the Patreon!

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hello, guys. Welcome back to I'll read what she's reading. I'm Kennedy.

[C]

I'm Michaela.

[A]

And I'm Reggie.

[B]

And today we are doing a new type of episode. We posted a poll on our Patreon on what our Patreon members wanted to see for the next episode, and they chose for us to talk about the latest books that we put on our TBR on Goodreads. Yeah, I'm a little scared. I don't know what it is.

[A]

I know I. Sometimes I will add the most random things, but we shall see.

[B]

So on this episode, you're gonna get 15 books to put on your TBR because we're all sharing five once again. We haven't read them. We don't know if they're good, great meh. Or the best book we've ever read, but here we go. Okay, Michaela, you're gonna start us off.

[C]

Okay. I have the Everlasting by Alex E. Harrow.

[B]

Okay. I've been seeing so much about this on Booktok.

[C]

I have to like it's.

[B]

People are saying it's really romantic.

[A]

Yes, I have.

[C]

The COVID is beautiful. I almost freaking picked that for you in the bookstore.

[A]

The bookstore?

[C]

Oh, really? Yeah. I genuinely don't really know what it's about. It says a lady night.

[B]

Mm.

[C]

Sign me up.

[B]

That's all I gotta say.

[C]

Less. Say less. And a Sir and a knight legend. I don't know. I. You guys know me. I like to go into books blind, and I've just seen a lot of really great things about it. And the average rating is 4.3.

[B]

Is it a standalone?

[C]

Yeah, at least from what I can see. But it just came out on. It came out October 2020.

[B]

Now, I am a bit nervous to start that book because I did try reading Starling House by the same author, and I DNF'd it, but I'm gonna give it. I'll give it a go. I'm gonna give it a try.

[C]

I honestly haven't tried anything from her, so I don't know. This is one of the ones that I just, like, saw on TikTok, and I was like, okay, yeah, I'm gonna add it. I don't really have any plans to start it super soon, but it's my five most recent ones on Goodreads.

[B]

So, yeah, I've been seeing. Literally a few people have posted tech talk saying it's very romantic. I don't know how, but must be.

[A]

I'm intrigued.

[B]

Okay. Mine is Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufy Thorpe.

[A]

Is it gonna be a TV show, or is it a movie with.

[B]

TV show with Fanning? A Fanning girl, I think. Elle Fanning. I think it's on Apple tv. You guys, I'm telling you, Apple TV adapts books the best.

[A]

Speaking of. Not to, like, steal your thunder, but we have not talked about this. Brandon Sanderson's books are coming to Apple tv.

[B]

Congratulations, Brandon.

[A]

I'm so happy for him.

[B]

Congratulations, Apple tv. You guys, Apple TV has some of the best TV shows, and they do zero advertising for them, literally. The new season of Shrinking came out, and the only reason I found out about it was because Kyle received an email.

[A]

I feel like I've seen stuff about it on TikTok.

[B]

Well, it's been out for, like, two weeks now. Anyways, yeah, they're gonna do a really good job. But do you think it was.

[C]

I don't think we'll see it for a long time.

[B]

No.

[A]

Well, I think that's what he said in his little blurb when he announced it. Like, it came out.

[B]

He's.

[A]

He was saying that, like, they take their time with their shows, and they care a lot more about the quality than the quantity of the shows that they have in their network, so.

[B]

And they do a lot of book adaptations, actually. They've never been stuff.

[A]

He's been meeting with people for years, like.

[B]

Yeah. Anyways, back to Marco's got money problems.

[A]

Sorry, I didn't mean to steal your thunder.

[B]

Yeah, it's gonna be a show on Apple tv. And it's funny because someone commented on something and said that you should read this. Reggie, specifically. They were like, reggie should read this.

[A]

Yeah, I read the synopsis, and I'm like, okay, maybe I can see why, but I don't know.

[B]

I mean, maybe because she's a single mom. Anyways, the plot is she gets fired from her job, and then from what I understand, is she starts on OnlyFans.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

See, I read the synopsis, and I was like, hmm, okay.

[B]

I've heard it's, like, funny, heartwarming. It just seems like a read that sounds fun, different from what I've read. And also, I just really like to read the books before the shows come out.

[C]

No, I literally saw the trailer for it.

[A]

Yeah. It does not seem heartwarming. Like, the trailer.

[B]

Heartwarming in the sense, like, in the way that, like, Frederick Bachman is, like, you're following this woman along a journey

[C]

of, like, have you seen it?

[B]

The trailer?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Oh. Oh, I didn't get that vibe.

[C]

I didn't either.

[B]

But that's okay.

[A]

But there's always multiple trailers, so maybe you saw. I saw.

[B]

Okay, maybe heartwarming isn't the correct, like, word. Like the way, like.

[A]

Well, it's okay because sometimes no trailers.

[B]

No, like the way that, like, his books make me feel is how I feel. Like this book will make me feel. Maybe not heartwarming is the right word. Like life lessening. Like you'll learn life lessons. Like, not like character. Character growth. Like it'll be a very good character growth.

[A]

No, that makes show.

[B]

I see. Book. Yeah. Not like I'm gonna feel good watching the show. So heartwarming wasn't the correct.

[A]

No, I see what you're saying.

[B]

Thing.

[A]

That makes sense.

[B]

I guess so.

[C]

I didn't know that it was a book.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Very fun.

[A]

My turn.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead. It's like an average of a 3.99 rating. Doesn't have a ton of ratings, but the book dedication that we talked about really got me. She dedicated it to her siblings, and I get really nervous whenever I hear this and a description, but the COVID and the dedication are just really getting me. And you guys know I love a rock star. Romance says perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six. I get really nervous when I hear that. Okay. Because in my mind, nothing really tops Daisy Jones in the Six. So I don't like that comparison. But it's about a music exec that is trying to bring a rock band back from the brink.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

There's, like, this band that's been in this downward spiral since the death of their manager. And basically it says it's a novel about sisterhood, friendship, and the ghosts that haunt us. A mesmerizing look at grief, love, and the music industry that's so raw and emotional, you'll want to play it on repeat. So that definitely piques my interest.

[B]

Sometimes I feel like people say things about Daisy Jones, like for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six. And then I think people go into it thinking there's going to be romance. I don't think it's going to be romance.

[A]

Theo is struck by Hannah, the group's lead singer.

[B]

Maybe there is romance then.

[A]

Based off of everything I read before that. I don't know. We shall see. I'm not. I. I don't think I would read it going in with any high expectations just because of the Daisy Jones the Six comment. But I think I just really like Rockstar kind of romance or like stories, because I just find it really fascinating. I have no idea what Hollywood and the music industry is particularly like. But it's kind of fun to get a glimpse into what these authors interpret it as.

[C]

And

[A]

yeah, there's always. They're always so messy, so I like the messiness of them.

[C]

So, yeah, there are always like, very messy. A teensy bit toxic.

[A]

Yeah. Sex, drugs and rock and roll, baby.

[C]

Yeah. What more can you ask for?

[B]

Yeah,

[A]

okay.

[C]

Fourth on my list is Rings of Fate by Melissa De La Cruz. This one was a part of the book of the month. I don't know what month it was for. January.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

January. And it's about a bar made.

[B]

I have no idea.

[C]

A barmaid who doesn't believe in fairy tales and. Oh, I'm guessing it's dual point of view because then he's a prince cursed to live one.

[A]

Wait, so what's the genre? Is it.

[C]

Yeah. Fantasy Romantasy.

[B]

I will say.

[C]

I don't. The ratings aren't great, but they're not terrible. It's like a 3.59. See, I don't know when I'll get to it, but I'm intrigued. The COVID looks cool. Different from any romance. It reminds me.

[B]

Lord of the Rings.

[C]

Yeah, that's literally what I was thinking.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Lord of the Rings kind of vibe. So. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. I'm like, how does she. How's she gonna meet this. I don't know. I got questions.

[C]

The prince is gonna go to the bar. I don't know.

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

That's my.

[A]

All right, that's my guess.

[B]

Magical powers she gets. I don't know. Guess you'll see. Wuthering Heights by Emily. How do you say. Bronte. Bronte.

[A]

Right. Bronte.

[B]

That's one of my books. Some Goodreads.

[C]

It's about to be all of ours.

[B]

I haven't added it yet. It's our Patreon Book Club book once again being turned into an adaptation that I've heard from a lot of people on social media. That is.

[A]

I'm not even very accurate. I'm not gonna even try to compare the book to the movie. I think that I don't even wanna.

[B]

Well, I think part of the reason why I am kind of like, what's the point? Why wouldn't you just title it something else? Like, I think what's hard is now they're mass producing the books with the movie cover. Like the movie poster on the front.

[A]

Yeah, that's.

[B]

And the title is in quotations. So I've been seeing a lot of people upset about that because it's not accurate to the book at all. I know, like the main themes and I'm sure if you're listening to this, you know about withering Wuthering Heights. So I don't need to go into too much detail. But I am excited because it will be the first classic that I will read. But I'm very intimidated. Yeah, I feel like Little Women would have been.

[A]

You guys are so worried about it. I'm excited and just probably because I already know too much about the book. Well, but I just had to discuss.

[B]

I have a friend who started to listen to it and she said it's just really hard because the verbiage used is so different to what we're used to in today's like day and age. And so she's like, it's kind of hard to fully understand what's going on. And maybe her issue was listing and maybe she should have been reading. So once again, classics just intimidate me for some weird reason. But maybe this is going to broaden my horizons. Yeah, but I haven't read the book, haven't seen the movie. So I'm sure I will have a lot more opinions after I do both of those things.

[A]

So yeah, I'm sure I will do okay. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Have you guys heard about this at all?

[C]

No. Children of Time.

[A]

It was published in 2015. I saw a TikTok of someone saying these. Like they listed their top five sci fi books of all time. And everyone in the comments was like, children of Time is out of this world. It's absolutely incredible. Whatever, it's a series. I'm intimidated by it because they're pretty big books. But these reviews, you guys are like insane. Everyone is saying there's something wildly giddy welling up within me. This book rocked. I had no idea how much I was going to love this. Everyone just hyping it up in the reviews and the comments of this TikTok I saw. But essentially. So it's a race for survival among the stars. Humanity's last survivors escaped Earth's ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers? So they're. Anyway, so they're trying to figure out who's going to inherit this new Earth.

[C]

And

[A]

it's just supposed to be this crazy space story. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Who are going to be the true heirs to this new Earth. And Yeah, it's like 600 pages. I think there's six books. Hold on.

[B]

Four.

[A]

There's four books.

[B]

Did you look it up?

[C]

Yeah, I just saw on Goodreads.

[A]

Yeah, just looked at it. Yeah, there's four books. The fourth book hasn't come out yet though. It's coming out in March.

[B]

So when was the first one published?

[A]

The first one was published in 2015. Yeah, but I don't know when I would get to it. I'm like a little intimidated, but I could not believe how many people on TikTok were talking about this in the comments of this video, saying it was so incredible and it's gonna blow my socks off. And then I've been seeing more TikToks about it and so, yeah, I mean, I love, I love me a good space story.

[C]

So a space opera.

[A]

I mean, the blurb on the front says this is really smart science fiction. Which makes me feel like it might hurt my brain and I might not be smart enough.

[C]

But anywho, that sounds interesting.

[A]

It sounds very interesting. And the reviews, I'm telling you, I'm like, people are saying this is one of the best books I've ever read. Top rate of 2023. I love this. More the second time I read it. Beautiful book. Like one of the best books I've ever read. An unqualified masterpiece. I'm just, I'm intimidated. Someone says this is some of the smartest, most exciting and most imaginative fiction I have read. So I'm like, I. I ha. I feel like I have to read it at some point. You know what I mean?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So sorry, I'm not trying to like hype it up. I don't want to overhype it for anybody, but like, I, I can't get over these reviews. My curiosity is definitely peaked.

[C]

Interesting.

[B]

That intimidates me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Honestly, any long sci fi series just intimidates me. Yeah, I have like four book ones on my bookshelf and I've been meaning to read them, but then I'm like I'm too dumb. Like I just, my brain is too tired for that, you know? Yeah, I'll let you be the guinea pig. Yeah, you can read it.

[A]

You be a baby. We'll see you read it first and

[C]

let us, let us know.

[A]

I got too many books I need to read though. But I know I want to start that at some point because of the raving reviews, so.

[C]

Sounds very interesting. Yeah, maybe, maybe, maybe not up my alley. I feel like it depends on my mood. This one's called Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks. At a pop up shop we did. There was this girl that was carrying like she was about to buy it, and I was like, wait, that actually kind of looks kind of cute. So I added it to my Goodreads. It's.

[B]

Isn't one of them. What's it called?

[A]

Like a mortuary?

[B]

Yeah. Mortician.

[C]

Okay. It says, callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner and a movie.

[A]

Oh.

[C]

But he can only inherit. Inherit the family undertaking business and carry on their legacy under one condition. He must marry before his 35th birthday.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[C]

So it's out of the mortuary and. And into the dating scene.

[A]

All right.

[B]

What a premise. Fascinating. That might just be, like, a.

[C]

Listen when I'm like, don't know what to read.

[A]

I don't know. Feels very interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

I don't know. I just thought it sounded kind of.

[A]

Who did you say the author was?

[C]

Ivy Fairbanks.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I don't think I've read anything else.

[A]

I'm, like, familiar with her name, but the cover's cute. Yeah.

[B]

Would not have expected that to be the synopsis based on the COVID but, hey, yeah, it's great.

[C]

What would you guys do if you found out, like, you went on a date with someone? You're like, yeah, I own mortuary.

[A]

I have a lot of questions.

[B]

I don't know if I can.

[A]

I know some cool morticians. I think morticians are awesome. Someone's got to do it.

[B]

I honestly. So we have one of my husband's buddies that he plays basketball with. He's a mortician.

[C]

Shut up.

[B]

Yeah. And so, like, I've talked to his wife, talked to him, and it's. Honestly, I don't want to say it's a sucky job, because it's not. But, like, if someone dies in the middle of the night, you have to go get. It's almost like you're on call. Like a doctor, straight up.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I think that would be a mortuary assistant, and that freaks me out, but somebody's got to do it, and someone's

[C]

got to do it.

[B]

Takes a very special person. So all you more morticians out there, thanks.

[A]

Yeah, my uncle was a mortician for

[B]

a bit, thanks to Reggie's uncle.

[A]

And that'd be a hard job. Yeah, that would be. Yeah. My mom does hair for people at the mortuary all the time. Did you guys know that?

[C]

No.

[A]

Yeah, it's like her new gig. She's got going this the past year or so, and so sometimes I'll be, like, calling her. She's like, sorry, I'm on my way to the mortuary. She does hair for people that have passed for their funerals.

[B]

That's really cool.

[A]

Yeah, she loves it.

[B]

I couldn't do it.

[A]

She likes to make them.

[C]

She, like, there is really special people for your mom.

[A]

That's. Yeah.

[B]

Like, she.

[A]

I remember, like someone being like, that is so weird. And she's like, no, like, this is like their last. Like this. This is the last time everyone's going to see them, like, on this earth, you know, like. Anyways, it's. Yeah. So.

[B]

Well, on that note.

[C]

Sorry.

[A]

Anyways, moving on bringing this.

[B]

No, just kidding. I have how to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle by Alyssa de Rogotis. I mean, this is a lot to live up to. It says perfect for fans of Katherine center and Emily Henry's beach read. So that's kind of putting a lot of hype up.

[C]

It is a hype.

[B]

So from what I can tell from the synopsis, you're following a romance author and she has horrible luck at love. So she essentially is trying to put herself in situations where she gets meet cutes in order to find the love of her life, and none of them are working out for her.

[A]

Let me know she's gonna find love in the cereal aisle.

[B]

Maybe. But also, also in the synopsis, it talks about a guy, best friend, so.

[A]

Oh, so she's sitting there waiting to meet someone, but she's already met him.

[C]

Oh, cute.

[B]

Maybe. Yeah. So when? Well, I don't know. I guess maybe Lucas could be a female's name, but I would assume it would be a male. Right? Sure. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So it's Lucas's idea for her to initiate these.

[A]

I see, I see, I see.

[B]

So maybe some friends to lovers. I don't know.

[C]

Cute. Cute, cute, cute.

[B]

Sounds cute.

[A]

Love. All right, I've been seeing a lot about this one and I will read it, but I don't know if it's something I will read very soon because it's a newer release and you guys know how I feel about starting a new fantasy book that's just been released. It's getting a lot of hype because then it's like you just gotta wait for the next book and I don't think there's a release date for the next book. Book in in question is we who Will Die by Stasia Stark. Yeah, I mean, it sounds great. It sounds great.

[B]

Is it a trial?

[A]

I believe so. So it's about vampires. Breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, magical creatures. You know, for fans of Carissa Broadbent

[B]

and Rebecca Yarros, it's all over Booktok. And everybody says the ending is crazy.

[A]

Yeah. Female main character must kill this Emperor who's an ancient vampire created by a certain God.

[B]

And let me guess, she's a regular old girl, but she's the chosen one.

[A]

I don't know. Anyways, yeah. She's entering an arena where only the fastest, strongest and deadliest surv long enough to be selected for the Emperor's elite guard. Oh, I think I've seen this film before, but everyone's eating it up. And I love vampires. It's been a while since I've read a vampire book, but I don't think I'll be starting this anytime soon. But I had to add it to my TBR after all I've seen about it on Book Talk. And I don't think it will disappoint me based off of what I've seen. But I don't want to have like too high of expectations. I just think based on what I know about it so far, I'm like, I don't think it's anything that's gonna knock my socks off based on the synopsis. Do you have it? Did you choose it for a book of the month? I believe I do. Yes, I have it.

[B]

Did you? I think you have it too.

[C]

No, no.

[B]

Did I? It was a book of the month pick. I'd be surprised if you didn't choose that as yours.

[A]

I don't remember. You have it, right?

[B]

Or am I making that up?

[A]

I. I'm pretty sure I have it.

[B]

Yeah, I think I have it.

[A]

From book of the month.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, I don't know.

[B]

You know, I love these new fantasy series, but I really. Yeah. Just the way on the next book, I feel like I gotta start reading books that are 1 and 2 so I can have another maybe. I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, or like knowing that the next book's coming out soonish. Like I remember finishing show the Sparrows and being like, why did I read this? I mean, I know we picked up her book club book, but I'm like, oh, I gotta wait the next book. But I feel like I still remember enough of it that like, I'll remember enough of it when the next book comes out in what, April or something. But yeah, it's really hard that's coming so soon. I know it's really hard to wait. And yeah, I like Kennedy said, a lot of people have been saying the endings like really crazy or something and I just feel like it's. It's really exhausting to start a book, love it, and then have to wait for the next book and then be like, okay, wait, enough time has passed that I have to either reread this or watch like a three hour deep dive synopsis on YouTube or something.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Which I hate doing. Like for example, when the moon hatched.

[B]

That's what I was gonna say.

[A]

Really liked that book. But the idea of like having to read that again, as much as I loved it, I'm like, I don't want to read that again. And maybe it'll just take, I don't

[B]

know, maybe it'll just take some time. Because I did not want to reread the Will of the Many. But then randomly I was like, I'm actually in the mood to reread this, so maybe eventually you'll be in the mood to reread it.

[A]

I don't know, maybe not. But anyways, you know, I, I there.

[B]

I think there is just a large demand for standalone fantasy books, you know? Yeah, I would read even. I mean take Alchemize for example. It's 1100 pages. But like I would much rather read a standalone fantasy than have to pick up a 6, 4, 5 book series and wait on it.

[C]

So yeah, I just, I don't want have to wait because I feel like I forget and then I lose motivation. Even if I really like the first book. Yeah, motivation goes down slowly, month by month to continue the series. You know, this one I've also seen all over TikTok. Dagger Mouse. Oh yeah, by H.M. wolf. Everyone's saying the thing is, I've been burned so many times by book talk.

[B]

And so I'm like, are you guys lying to me?

[C]

Because I swear you're lying to me.

[B]

I almost started that like a week ago.

[C]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, if you read it, you have to let me know. I've heard people like say that's how you write dystopian romance. So it is dystopian, but I think

[B]

it's like dark romance.

[C]

Dark.

[B]

I think sometimes I'll see quotes that people post on Tik Tok and I'm kind of like, oh, this seems a little on the dark romance side, but I could be wrong.

[C]

It's perfect.

[B]

Correct me for readers who love True

[C]

Enemies to Lovers Thunder Games. Okay, I feel like this just spoils it all. So I'm not going to read any more of that.

[B]

Just know it's dystopian. Dystopian on Kindle Unlimited and I. Is there a release date for book two?

[C]

Let me look July. No, June 30, 2026, I think, because

[A]

the book just came out in December.

[B]

I think that's why. I think that's why I decided not to read it, because I saw that the next book's coming out decently soon.

[C]

That's really quick. This came out in 2025. Yeah, December 2025. That's really a quick turn.

[A]

Is it just going to be the two books? That's what it's looking like.

[C]

It says two, but I have no idea. So I don't know.

[B]

I really have no idea what it's about.

[C]

I've just seen people rave about a dystopian, it being dystopian. And I didn't run a read anymore because it gave away stuff.

[B]

I mean, I don't want to say anything because I don't want to give anything away for you.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So.

[C]

Well, I already read a thing. Oh.

[B]

So, I mean, everybody's literally five stars. Five stars, Four stars. So here we go.

[C]

Dagger mouth, everyone.

[B]

Dagger mouth.

[A]

If you read it, let us know

[B]

if you liked what. Let me know if it airs on the side of dark romance, because I could be wrong, but I feel like when I see people read quotes or when they describe it, I'm kind of like, oh, that seems really intense.

[A]

I mean, the. The description, like the synopsis of the book that I'm, like, skimming right now seems very, like, intense.

[B]

So that's what I like.

[C]

A little intense. Yeah.

[A]

All right.

[B]

All right. My next book is called Spectacular Things by Beck Dori Steenstein. I don't know, it's funny because all of these books that I'm saying are not fantasy, but that's what I typically read. I think I just kind of like what Michaela said. I've been burned by so many book talk books, but also I just can't keep reading these first books and series and then not have the next one. And I haven't found, like, an older fantasy series that has caught my attention, maybe from Blood and Ash, if I decide to continue. But if you guys have a good, like, older fantasy series that's just gonna really grip me and want me to continue, please send it my way. So. But Spectacular Things is a litfic book. Someone I posted on our Instagram stories. I was at Barnes and Noble and I said, tell me a book that I need to buy. And someone recommended this book and I read the synopsis, and it literally sounds like my childhood, except for one tiny thing. So basically you have these two sisters. One is, like, really smart. Very academic. And the other is like a athlete and they have a single mom and they're basically. They find out, like, secrets about their mom's past. Just kind of sounds like family drama. Something that I'm probably gonna cry over because anything with a single mom makes me cry. So there you have it.

[C]

Oh. Oof. It's gonna jab you right in the heart.

[B]

I think so.

[C]

I think it's gonna hit really close to home.

[B]

I think so. Not that my mom has secrets. Well, maybe she does, but. And literally the COVID looks like me and my sister.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

Little blondie and a little brown haired person.

[C]

So I said, sure. Cute.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What was that one called again?

[B]

Spectacular Things.

[A]

Spectacular Things. Okay, maybe I shouldn't say this book because I technically have already started it, so maybe I should skip it.

[B]

Nah, go ahead and say it.

[A]

But for my Patreon vlog, I was doing a reading roulette where I had to pick different books and read them for a certain amount of time. And then after 24 hours, I had to pick a book from the ones that I started to read as my next book. And I got actually decently far in this book that I started. Not decently far, but far enough that I'm like, I gotta finish the book. I think I'm 17% of the way through Hamnet.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Because I drew from the mug and it told me I had to read a heart wrenching story on my tbr. And this one seemed very obviously heartbreaking. Maggie o'. Farrell. So Michaela might know a lot more than me because she has seen the movie and I have not seen the movie yet, but the author has this, like, fascination with Shakespeare and this story behind the play Hamlet. And it's basically about a. It says, a luminous portrait of a marriage at its heart. Wait. A luminous portrait of a marriage at its heart. The loss of a beloved child in the 1580s.

[B]

I

[A]

started the book literally. The dedication I was like. And just a little blurb before the book, I was crying. It's interesting because I'm like only like 17% of the way through and sorry. I feel like this book maybe doesn't count for tbr, but it's still on my tbr because I haven't fully. Anyways, we're counting it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But so far, like, written very beautifully and the storytelling, just the way the story is told is told in such a beautiful way where it's like, right now I feel like there's not a ton going on, but I'm really sucked into just the way that Maggie o' Farrell has brought, like started this story. So yeah, I'm gonna be wrecked. I already know. And then it'll be, you know, fun to get wrecked again. Watching the movie.

[B]

So I didn't even know it was a book.

[C]

Yeah, it's pretty much the like the story of Shakespeare and how he came to wrote Hamlet.

[B]

Is it historically accurate or is it like speculative fiction?

[C]

I think it's both.

[A]

Both. Yeah. Yeah, because it's not like a. Yeah,

[C]

but he was writing comedies until Hamlet,

[B]

so I did not know that.

[C]

So yeah, it's a. I never going to read it and I'm never going

[A]

to watch it ever again. And here I am double whammying it.

[C]

Not because I didn't like it, but I just don't think I can handle it again.

[A]

Yeah, I don't think it's something. I probably would have just like waited to watch the movie. But then you know what I pulled out of the jar? I pull out of the jar.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I feel like I'm doing it the book a disservice if I just, you know, I get 17% of the way through and I don't finish it.

[C]

So.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Wow. I wish she.

[A]

I'll be back with my. My review. So.

[C]

Okay, last one on my list to heist do us part.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[C]

We went to a bookstore and we picked books for each other and Kennedy picked this book for me. He knows I like spy stuff, agent stuff, heists. So she nailed it right on the dot. I'm assuming it's all. All having to do with that. So.

[B]

Unfortunately it is the second book in a standalone series. So it's okay.

[A]

I can read the first one.

[C]

It. The first one is on my tbr. Oh, it already was. Yeah, I haven't got to it yet. So I'll read that one first and then I'll read the second one.

[B]

Baller.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

My last book is Exiles by Mason Coyle. I don't know. I actually started this book at the end of 2025 and then I remember listening to it on my couch and I fell asleep for like an hour and a half and I was listening to it on Spotify and I wasn't willing to rewind and waste more Spotify hours. Then I never continued. I didn't make it very far. But basically these. It's a sci fi book. This crew of people is sent to Mars to basically colonize Mars. And prior to them having. Prior to the humans being on Mars, they sent like machines, robots to set it all up for Them. But it says that the machines have formed alliances, chosen names, and, like, basically started their own colony, kind of.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

So one of the humans goes missing, and then it's kind of like a psychological thriller mystery, trying to figure out where the human went. Was it the robot's faults? How do we make it so the robots aren't sentient type thing.

[C]

Whoa.

[A]

That's crazy.

[C]

It's really intense.

[B]

It's really short. It's literally 224 pages.

[C]

Oh, wow.

[B]

So, yeah, started it, fell asleep. Don't know what happened. So eventually I'll get. I'll go. I'll go back to it.

[C]

A lot has got to happen in 200 pages with that kind of plot line.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Wow, that sounds very interesting. You'll have to let us know.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

How that is.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Sounds kind of spooky.

[B]

Yes. It's like psychological sci fi. Horror on Mars.

[A]

On Mars. Oh, man. Here's one on my tbr. Guys, I haven't read any books by this author, but I've heard that her books are great. And that is Lily King. The book is Heart the Lover. I've seen some people reading it that I follow on Goodreads, and I feel like this is a book that will emotionally wreck me. So I'm gonna have to, like, wait till, you know, well, after I finish Hamnet or something. In the fall of her senior year of college, this girl meets these two star students from her lit class who are best friends, and they basically just like, invite them into her world. She's kind of in this, like, weird triangle. I'm now that I. I thought I knew what this is about, but now,

[B]

like, really looking at.

[A]

I'm like, wait, is this giving, like, challengers vibes? I don't. No. Oh, I don't know. But I know it's supposed to be, like, her books are very emotional. From what I've understood anyways. It kind of like, jumps ahead to decades later after college. Oh, and there's some unexpected news that brings the past crashing into the present. And so she has to confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self. So there's a lot of wit and emotional sensitivity. A deeply moving story that celebrates love, friendship, and the transformative nature of forgiveness.

[C]

Oh, dang.

[A]

So it seems like you will read this and you will be on quite the trip. It's also a really short book. It's under 300 pages.

[C]

So.

[A]

Yeah, Brady, our girl Brady rated it five stars. She said it was a masterpiece. It sounds like it's a book that will make Me cry.

[C]

Dang.

[A]

So sign me up. Sign me up. Yeah, Some emotional reads. I'm just ready to, like, you know, cry, I guess. It's just winter, you know, it doesn't feel like winter right now, but, you know, it's winter. Why not just cry over books? I don't know.

[B]

So anyways, I mean, it is hard, though, because sometimes I just put random stuff on my Goodreads and I never get to it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So, I mean, most of the ones I talked about I probably will get to eventually, because they're either book club books or I own them.

[C]

But that's why I started to do the challenge where I read the last

[A]

book on your tbr.

[C]

On my tbr.

[A]

I should probably go through and edit my TBR on Goodreads a little bit, because sometimes I get really overwhelmed.

[B]

That's what we should have done. We should have done our. Instead of our latest. We should have done our earliest.

[C]

Our earliest.

[B]

Let us know if you guys want an episode like that.

[C]

Our earliest books are in tbr. Ooh, that would be.

[B]

Wait, everybody go look really quick. I'm.

[C]

I already know what mine is.

[B]

What is yours?

[C]

Mine is the Kiss of Deception, and

[A]

I'm not sure what mine is. Mine is. Oh, Kennedy's pulling a face.

[B]

I'm not reading that. You guys really want me to tell you?

[C]

Yeah. What is it?

[B]

Okay, well, I don't even.

[A]

What is it?

[B]

Maybe someday, Colleen Hoover. I'm not reading that one.

[A]

You're not reading that one? No, mine is. I'll give you the sun by Jandy Nelson. I don't know if I'll read that.

[B]

Well, yeah, let us know if you want. Let us know if you want an episode like that. I might go clean up some of my books on my tbr, because I ain't reading that. No offense. Okay, well, guys, thanks so much for listening to this episode. Hopefully you were able to add some books to your tbr. Let us know if you liked this kind of episode. We've never done a TBR episode like this, but like I said, the Patreon voted for that. So if you want to be able to have some input on future episodes that we do or pick our next reads, go ahead and sign up for our Patreon. Also, if you guys missed last week's episode, we went over our winter book club book, which was the hierarchy. So Swillow the Money and the Shrink of the Few by James Islington. Or Islington, I'm not sure. So if you've read both those books, go ahead. And check that out. And if you want to see more content from us, go ahead and follow us on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Our username is whatcheesereadingpod. We post a lot of fun, unserious videos, book reviews every now and then on there. It's a good time. So thanks so much for listening and we'll see you next week. Bye.

[A]

Don't.