"We Are OVER IT" – I'll Read What She's Reading
Episode date: April 8, 2026
Hosts: Reggie, Mikayla, Kennedy
Episode Overview
In this lively and candid episode, Reggie, Mikayla, and Kennedy give voice to all the bookish pet peeves, tired trends, and overused tropes driving them (and, likely, many listeners) up the wall. The trio brings their signature group-chat energy to an unfiltered discussion about book world exhaustion — from miscommunication plots and identical book covers to BookTok drama and fan casting misadventures. The episode closes on a warmer note, highlighting the tropes and bookish elements they’ll never tire of, while showing real gratitude for their community and shared reading journey.
Trope Fatigue: What Are They "Over"?
Miscommunication That Could Be Solved in a Sentence ([01:19])
- Reggie: “Sometimes the miscommunication trope is fine, but sometimes when you find out what the miscommunication was, it’s like the biggest eye roll.”
- The group agrees this trope often feels like wasted potential if the issue could have been solved early on.
Fated Mates ([01:56])
- Kennedy: “I just want authors to be a little bit more creative with love and relationships. It’s so much more romantic to choose each other versus you’re fated to be together…”
- They're tired of being told characters are “mates” 300+ times in a book.
The Chosen One/Secret Princess Trope ([02:59])
- Reggie: Wants a confident, self-aware protagonist, not another “I’m not pretty, but all these fate men are throwing themselves at me” girl.
- Kennedy: Wants to see stories about the villain trying to make things right — “the unchosen one.”
Insta-Lust / Insta-Love ([04:50])
- Mikayla: “You know exactly who the love interest is from page one. I want to guess, I want there to be a few people I can choose from. I want there to be some emotional connection before they just bang it out.”
- General consensus: Bring back slow-burn, bring back yearning.
Publishing Trends That Annoy
Misleading Marketing and Trope Labels ([05:50])
- Kennedy: "Do not tell me this is a slow burn when it’s not...I’d rather not know what the trope is."
- Publishing and BookTok often market books in a way that spoils the plot or misrepresents the actual story.
Lookalike Book Covers ([08:59])
- Reggie: Over the endless parade of "crown or dagger, ivory leaves, viny stuff, a person on it...just some kind of flower, leave."
- Kennedy: “What’s ironic is you would think if your book looked the same as everybody else’s on a shelf, somebody wouldn’t gravitate towards it.”
Fast Fashion Publishing ([10:58])
- Mikayla: Hates the rush to pump out sequels, which often leads to poor editing and loss of quality.
- Emphasis should be on quality, not quantity: “I would much rather wait an appropriate amount of time.”
BookTok & Fandom Frustrations
Toxicity and Gatekeeping on BookTok ([12:40])
- Reggie: “I just can’t believe we’re in the year 2026 and people are so up in arms and will leave the meanest comments over your review of a book.”
- Explains the ‘bean soup’ analogy—why comment “I hate beans” on a bean soup recipe?
- Wishes for a more positive, discussion-based book community: “Reading is subjective. Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.”
Unrealistic or Overused Fan Casts ([16:29])
- Mikayla: Annoyed at seeing 45-year-olds fan-cast as 18-year-old characters: “It really bugs me…this character is 18, and you’re casting a younger Brad Pitt.”
Judgmental, Clickbaity BookTok Trends ([18:48])
- Kennedy: Doesn't like the “I don’t trust your taste if you like X” videos.
- Reading experience is always subjective, not a hierarchy.
Quote ([21:02])
Kennedy: “Just because someone enjoys Fourth Wing but you enjoy the Way of Kings…doesn’t mean you’re a better reader than someone else…there’s a book out there for everyone.”
Reading Habits They're Ditching
FOMO Reading ([21:58])
- Reggie: “A habit I’m over is like, reading what’s trending versus what I actually want to read…Then I kind of forget about it, two years rolls around, and then what happens? I forgot everything that happened in the first book.”
- Confronts the cycle of hype-FOMO-cliffhanger-amnesia.
Finishing a Book Out of Obligation ([24:27])
- Reggie: Calls out the sunk cost fallacy in reading. Encourages DNF’ing books that aren’t bringing joy.
Falling Asleep While Reading ([25:19])
- Mikayla: Wistfully laments nodding off while reading, wishing she could shake the association between reading and dozing off.
Needing to Finish Chapters ([27:45])
- Kennedy: “It would be nice to be able to stop in the middle of a chapter…If I would just stop in the middle, I’d probably read a little bit more.”
Debates in the Book World To Leave Behind
Do Audiobooks Count as Reading? ([28:46])
- Kennedy: “Mine's gonna be mic drop: audiobooks count as reading.”
- Everyone: Agrees wholeheartedly. Retaining information is what counts.
Reading Order Debates ([28:55])
- Tired of endless arguments about, e.g., "where to read Assassin’s Blade."
- Reggie: “Just read it whenever you want.”
Main Character Traits Done To Death
Low Self-Esteem / “I’m So Small” / Insecure Heroines ([31:49])
- Kennedy: “I’m so tiny. I’m so weak. And then it’s like the next chapter, they’re like freaking dominating in a war.”
- Wants more confident, self-aware women in fantasy.
Brooding, Mean Male Leads ([33:14])
- Mikayla: Wants funny, multi-dimensional male leads, not just broody "morally gray" ones.
- Kennedy: “Give me a golden retriever. I don’t know how that works in a fantasy book, but someone out there can make it happen.”
Immature Characters ([35:15])
- Critique of protagonists who are supposed to be mature adults but act like teenagers.
Bookish Things They'll Never Be "Over"
A Truly Well-Done Enemies to Lovers ([36:08])
- Desperate for books that deliver a real enemies-to-lovers arc with genuine tension and development.
- Examples debated; consensus that such books are rare and hard to recommend without spoilers.
Emotional Love Confessions / Monologues in the Rain ([39:54])
- Reggie: “Emotional love confessions or monologues in the rain...I'll never get sick of that.”
- Mikayla: “I'll take any love confession. A good one written by sir.”
Short Chapters ([40:33])
- Short, punchy chapters make reading addictive.
Classic Tropes, When Done Well ([40:55])
- Wound tending scenes (“who did this to you”), forced proximity (“forced to share a room, forced to be in a jail cell together…literally attached with handcuffs”), and books that genuinely make them sob.
Appreciation for the Community ([41:59])
- Kennedy: “I will never get over the fact that we’re still doing this. Three years. Three years and we’re still here. The fact that you guys still listen to us even though I know we’re unhinged…that people actually care about the books we read…That’s freaking crazy.”
Reggie: “Tender. You’re gonna cry.” Kennedy: “I'm so sappy.”
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.” – Reggie ([14:20])
- “Yearning...let’s bring yearning back.” – Mikayla ([05:37])
- “Just because someone enjoys Fourth Wing but you enjoy the Way of Kings…doesn’t mean you’re a better reader.” – Kennedy ([21:02])
- “Does this bring you joy? Does it bring you joy?” – Mikayla ([25:03])
- “Audiobooks count as reading. 100%.” – Kennedy ([30:05])
- “I will never get over forced proximity.” – Reggie ([41:08])
- “I know we’re unhinged. I know we aren’t the most prepared podcast…just the fact that you guys are here and you support us in whatever capacity that might be…” – Kennedy ([42:10])
Timeline of Key Segments
- 00:00–02:53: Introduction; tropes they’re over – miscommunication, fated mates, chosen one
- 04:50–05:48: Insta-love; wish for more yearning
- 05:50–08:55: Publishing trends – misleading trope marketing, lookalike covers, fast fashion publishing
- 12:40–17:17: BookTok trends – toxic comments, fan casting issues
- 18:48–21:14: Clickbaity “bad taste” discourse; reading experience is subjective
- 21:58–28:23: Reading habits to break – FOMO, forcing books, falling asleep, needing to finish chapters
- 28:46–31:01: Annoying debates – audiobooks as reading, reading order disputes
- 31:49–35:47: Played-out character traits – insecure/fake-weak heroines, broody/mean male leads, immaturity
- 36:08–43:18: Positive bookish faves – real enemies-to-lovers, love confessions, forced proximity, sob-worthy books, gratitude for listeners
Tone & Personality
Warm, brutally honest, and humorously self-aware. The hosts balance their exasperation with affection for the bookish community and each other, sprinkling in inside jokes and sappy, heartwarming asides.
Compiled for listeners seeking a full overview of book world burnout, cathartic bookish grievances, and the joy of reader community as shared by three unfiltered, very relatable hosts.