"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)

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.

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.

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)

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)

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

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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