WHOA That’s Good Podcast

Episode: Hot Takes on What’s Worth Watching & Reading (and Skipping)
Host: Sadie Robertson Huff | Guest: Korie Robertson (Sadie’s Mom)
Date: August 27, 2025

Episode Overview

Sadie Robertson Huff and her mom, Korie Robertson, dive into deeply personal and candid “hot takes” on their favorite—and least favorite—books, movies, and TV shows. The conversation centers on what media has shaped and moved them, how they try to be intentional about what they consume, and why discernment matters—especially as faith shapes their lives and boundaries. Expect heartful book recommendations (with emotional confessions!), honest TV nostalgia, and playful debate over “cheesy” classics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Books & Stories

[00:45–06:41]

• Korie reads her favorite book passage from A Gentleman in Moscow, getting emotional:

  “For what matters in life is not when we receive a round of applause. What matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of the acclaim.... I assure you, my dear, were you to play a chord on the moon, I would hear every chord.” – Korie (reading, [01:00])

• Reflection on parenthood and why stories hit so hard:

  "That’s the best description of a parent... You’re so proud of your kids, and it’s not that they win the award... it’s just that they go forth and do it." – Korie ([02:31])
  "That shows you the impact that books can have and movies…and certain wording and phrasing that just hits you to your core..." – Sadie ([02:43])

• Intentional reading as empathy training:

  "Reading fiction and memoirs... you put yourself in those positions. It just gave you this greater capacity to understand other people, have compassion..." – Korie ([05:53])

2. Most Impactful & Favorite Books

[06:42–22:14]

Korie’s Top Picks:

• Childhood Classic: The Secret Garden – “Just slow and beautiful, but has a lot of depth and meaning.” ([07:01])
• Memoirs: Angela’s Ashes and its sequel ’Tis – “They just gave you a different appreciation…teach you stuff about human nature.” ([08:00])
• Impactful Nonfiction: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali – “Very intense, very hard to listen to...but so powerful.” ([09:33], [10:46])

Sadie’s Picks:

• Memoir: God’s Smuggler – “My favorite book. It is the coolest book ever...on the edge of my seat the whole time.” ([16:25])
• Fictionalized Biographies:
  • Becoming Mrs. Lewis (the love story of C.S. Lewis) – “So sweet...based off their letters.” ([17:48])
  • Redeeming Love – “I could not put that book down...beautifully written and powerful.” ([18:39])
• Other recommendations: The Hiding Place, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Shared Notables:

• Viola Davis’ and Matthew McConaughey’s memoirs—great as audiobooks, “because their voices are so good.” ([12:46])
• Loved Does (Bob Goff) and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Donald Miller)—books that changed their perspective on life and faith as the Duck Dynasty family rose to fame. ([19:39])

Leadership Reading:

• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown – “Gave me a lot of clarity and confidence...really good advice for stepping into leadership at a young age.” – Sadie ([21:48])

3. What They’re Reading Now

[22:15–26:16]

• Korie:
  • We Wrestle with God by Jordan B. Peterson – “About biblical truths...opens you up to a whole new perspective.” ([22:24])
• Sadie & Christian:
  • Love and Respect (Dr. Emerson Eggerichs) – A marriage classic they randomly received as a God-orchestrated surprise. ([24:03])
  • Others: Infidel (still working through it), “trying to get into” The Nightingale (not connecting with it yet), Tortured for Christ (“My favorite ever, really tough.”)

4. Memoirs, WWII Era, and Stories of Survival

[26:16–28:20]

• The Happiest Man on Earth – “This might be my favorite book ever...such a good story, highly recommend it.” – Sadie ([26:41])
• Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Zookeeper’s Wife, Unbroken, Where the Wind Leads – “I love those just powerful stories of people who survive things you think you could never live through...makes you realize we’re actually a lot stronger than we think.” – Korie ([27:38])

5. TV Shows: What’s Worth Watching, Nostalgia, and “Cheese Trays”

[28:20–40:12]

All-Time Faves & Family Binge Nostalgia

• Friday Night Lights – “That might have been my first binge-watch show.” – Korie ([29:13])
• Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill – Not necessarily recommending, but part of their teen years’ memories.
• Crash Landing on You (K-Drama) –

  “My all-time favorite show because it was so clean, so good.” - Sadie ([31:57])
  “It’s a literal cheese tray, but...sharp cheddar!” – Korie ([32:20])

• Virgin River, Parenthood – “Loved Virgin River, but every bad thing happened...Parenthood, probably my favorite ever.” ([32:41], [33:06])
• Jane the Virgin – Mixed feelings; Korie obsessed, Sadie didn’t connect ([33:37])
• Survivor, Shark Tank, American Idol, Family Feud – “I typically go for more things like Survivor, Shark Tank, American Idol... more real life things.” – Sadie ([31:42])

On TV Discernment:

“I think actually part of that was Duck Dynasty—made us more serious about what we watch... we saw the power of entertainment and how it was shaping people.” – Korie ([29:48])
“Sometimes... the Holy Spirit can convict you in ways you didn’t feel conviction before.” – Sadie ([30:47])

• Both discuss growing more selective as they matured in faith.

Documentaries

• The Biggest Little Farm, Martha Stewart doc, and true crime/cult series are current interests ([38:23])
• “You and Dad watch a lot together?” “No!... but now we’re empty nesters, so finally, yes.” ([39:12])

6. Favorite Movies (Current and All-Time)

[40:12–50:34]

Sadie’s Throwback List (from 2016):

• The Blind Side, The Help, Mamma Mia, When in Rome, The Intern, Hot Pursuit (“I could have been her character!”) ([41:01])
• Princess Diaries, Ramona and Beezus
• “If we’re talking about right now: Moana...and Top Gun 1 & 2.” ([46:20])

Korie’s Family Movie Memories:

• Series of Unfortunate Events, Junie B. Jones, Nanny McPhee, Percy Jackson, Aristocats, Robin Hood, Babe ([44:05])
• “Loved all the Marvel movies—would go to midnight premieres with the kids.”
• Dumb and Dumber was the ultimate family comedy ([45:50])
• Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? – “We wanted other people to see it, it was so good.” ([45:36])
• “The Mr. Rogers documentary...we were all just crying in the theater and didn’t want to get up.” ([47:17])

Major Movie Moments:

• “Top Gun 2 was like nostalgia...everyone clapped at the end.” – Sadie ([46:48])
• “Midnight Twilight premiere lines...Justin Bieber doc...everyone packed in!” – Both ([48:51])

7. On Fantasy Series:

[49:24–50:43]

• Neither has stuck with Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter (though Korie read the books), or Star Wars movies.

  “I want to love Lord of the Rings but I go to sleep every time...” – Korie ([49:38])

• John Luke recommends fantasy, but the women prefer “shorter and less made-up words.”
• One recommendation: The Slow Regard for Silent Things – “Intro into fantasy world you will love. It’s short, just different and beautiful.” – Korie ([50:32])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “What matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of the acclaim.” – Korie ([01:16])
• “Memoirs is my favorite type of book.” – Sadie ([13:33])
• “A good story is not... a man works his whole life and at the end of it he has a white picket fence and a Volvo.” – Korie, paraphrasing Donald Miller ([20:02])
• “I don’t like watching inappropriate shows...but if it’s someone’s life story...you learn so much, like where they’re at, why they did it, the context they’re living in…” – Sadie ([12:51])
• “You can be right but at the wrong tone. You’re saying what you’re saying is right, but you’re saying it with such a rude tone that I can’t receive it, so it’s wrong.” – Sadie, relaying from Love and Respect ([25:04])
• “We do believe entertainment not only has the power to shape us. It does shape us.” – Sadie ([51:20])

The “Skip List” and Cautions

• Both mention books, memoirs, and shows that are “heavy,” “intense,” or “too much” for some seasons of life—such as Angela’s Ashes, Infidel, and Tortured for Christ. Proceed with discernment and “where your spirit’s at.” ([09:33], [10:46], [51:33])
• TV: Not every favorite is an endorsement—many “not recommending, just remembering.”
• There’s honesty about shows that get “too dramatic” or “ridiculous” (Virgin River, Jane the Virgin) ([32:44], [33:56])

Final Reflections & Advice

[51:20–end]

• Intentionality in consuming media is key, even with great, meaningful content:

  “Even if it’s a good book...you do need to be intentional with where your spirit’s at...you do with wisdom and guidance, and everyone’s going to fall under a little bit different boundary lines and that’s okay.” – Sadie ([51:33])

• Always let others be where they’re at with their convictions—not everything is for everyone in every season.

Timestamps Quick Reference

• [00:45]–[06:41]: Emotional book passages & parenting
• [06:42]–[22:14]: Favorite, impactful books (list-deep dive)
• [22:15]–[26:16]: Currently reading, new discoveries
• [26:16]–[28:20]: Memoirs & survival stories
• [28:20]–[40:12]: TV shows: recommendations, nostalgia, discernment
• [40:12]–[50:34]: Favorite movies (past & present)
• [49:24]–[50:43]: Fantasy books conversation
• [51:02]–end: Reflections on intentionality, boundaries, and wisdom in entertainment

Tone & Language

Both Sadie and Korie speak with warmth, candidness, and humor, willing to be vulnerable about what moves them, nostalgic about family classics, and honest about growing in discernment. The episode is marked by relatable storytelling, mother-daughter banter, and encouragement to seek out media that brings hope, empathy, and meaning—but never at the cost of your own peace or convictions.

This episode is a must-listen if you want:

• Emotional, faith-based book and show recommendations
• Honest conversation about navigating media in a complex world
• Mother-daughter insight into what’s worth watching, reading and skipping
• A reminder to let your convictions be shaped intentionally and kindly

Downloadable List of Recommendations

(Sadie suggests they’ll make one, or maybe “AI can do that for us”—indeed, here you go! Download a .pdf of these recommendations, skip-lists, and more.)

“Hope this gave you some inspo for some fall shows to watch or some books to read, some movies to watch... Always approach what you read and watch with intentionality.” – Sadie ([51:20])

End of summary.