Besties and the Books Podcast

Besties and the Books
  • 4.7 (23)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

We’re Ashley and Liz, two real-life besties who’ve loved books since we first learned to read, so naturally, we started a podcast! We would say the rest is history but in actuality, it's just the beginning. So come join us in the next chapter of our lives as we introduce ourselves, and laugh our way through the world of books with a focus on Fantasy, Romantasy, and Dark Romance. Of course we have love for all book genres, but those are our absolute favorites!  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!   YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast   Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife   Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllixEmail bestiesandthebooks@gmail.com

  1. 4d ago

    Ep 127 “Uhhh…” 😬🔥 Burn of the Everflame Review, Summary, and Deep Dive | Kindred’s Curse Saga Book 4

    Send us Fan Mail Burn of the Everflame, book four and the final installation in The Kindred’s Curse Saga by Penn Cole is the talk of the town in the Romantasy world. Today we’re doing our deep dive, reviewing one of the most anticipated releases of the year… and our opinions might be different than you think.  After deep diving Spark, Glow, and Heat and having the lovely Penn Cole on the podcast twice to talk about strong female characters, deep themes, and writing under pressure, was Burn what we thought it would be? Did it live up to the expectations we had for the end of Diem and Luther’s story? And when all is said and done, what rating did we officially give it?  Stick around for special commentary from Penn herself on the emotional ending to her debut series, and get our star rating, spice rating, five sentence summary, faves and least favorites, and our discussion… in detail… about whether Luther is still book boyfriend material or not.  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ Watch our Spoiler-Free interview with the Author Penn Cole herself all about Burn of the Everflame https://youtu.be/nYDN-XCTkbM?si=gUv1FBT3ugk7Fyho We go behind the book with Autumn Krause and The Gods Will Sing Our Song https://youtu.be/656QHeao6F4?si=VMLZ-zAa6pltOio9 THE Sheila Masterson yaps with us about going trad & her NYT Bestseller The Poison Daughter! Don’t miss it! https://youtu.be/V9MpoOX3CyQ?si=e2uOKPVRQjsIhVCb Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: Vans Warped Tour Hoodie https://vanswarpedtourmerch.com/ Liz is wearing : A “I Still Read Fairytales” Villian Crew by @shadowboundspines | https://shadowboundspines.com/products/i-still-read-fairytales-just-for-the-villains-now-crewneck?_pos=13&_sid=5377b326e&_ss=r Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    Ep 127 “Uhhh…” 😬🔥 Burn of the Everflame Review, Summary, and Deep Dive | Kindred’s Curse Saga Book 4

  2. 5d ago ·  Bonus

    “WE THOUGHT WE KNEW PAIN” Light Bringer Red Rising Book 6 | Light Bringer Red Rising Book 6 | Deep Themes, Deep Thoughts, and Recap

    Send us Fan Mail This deep dive coverage of Light Bringer was the most difficult in this bonus series to film. Pierce Brown… you have unapologetically broken us with this book and we do not know if we can forgive you. Ashley took a whole star away from her spoiler free rating for the pain and suffering. Did Liz feel the same way? Do you?  In today’s final episode (for now!) in our Red Rising bonus series we will not only be discussing in great detail every aspect of how Light Bringer made us feel, we’ll also be revealing our favorite book in the series so far, and how we rank them from “worst” to best.” That way when the series is completed we can jump back in, read the new book (or books), reflect, and do our final rating and ranking. If we’ve learned anything in these past few months it’s that anything can change at any moment. And even when you think you’re ready for the pain, you’re not.  We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. Next, we covered the original trilogy in detail, books one and two of the second trilogy and have officially rated every book a resounding five stars. Last week’s episode had us truly wondering what Brown was going to pull off next, and he did not disappoint. Can we talk about Hangar 17B? 🫠😭🥴 Today we’re diving into book six and the last available installation in the series: Light Bringer. Darrow is making a comeback in a way we’ve never seen, training not just his body, but his mind in the ways of “the force,” but is it enough? Old decisions come back to haunt our favorite characters, and just when everything seems to be crumbling around them, unlikely alliances are made. How long until we can expect Red God? And what are our unanswered questions and predictions?  We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. And lastly, we’ll be taking the Sons of Ares prequels, conspiracy theories, and spinoffs. What else should be cover? Because truly, we are not ready to leave this world behind.  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing an “Undead Readers Club” from @BookBabeDesigns | https://bookbabedesigns.com  Liz is wearing: our branded besties and the books beanie | https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    “WE THOUGHT WE KNEW PAIN” Light Bringer Red Rising Book 6 | Light Bringer Red Rising Book 6 | Deep Themes, Deep Thoughts, and Recap

  3. Sep 8

    Ep 126 The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause and The Importance of Historical Romantasy | Book Review + Deep Dive

    Send us Fan Mail Today we’re bringing you our deep dive coverage for The Gods Will Sing Our Song as the follow up to our extremely impactful author interview with young adult romantasy author Autumn Krause. Autumn is the author of four novels (so far): A Dress for the Wicked, Before the Devil Knows You’re Here, Grave Flowers, and OUT NOW… her very timely and extremely important fourth novel The Gods Will Sing Our Song, inspired by her own family’s experiences in the World War 2 Japanese American Incarceration Camps. We met the lovely and beautiful Autumn at Romantasycon LA where we had the privilege of interviewing her for the Gothica panel, chatting all things horror, dark fantasy, and gothic themes and just knew she was an instant bestie with a big message to share. We encourage you all to pick up this book and experience the perfect balance of fantasy storytelling and real-world history, and listen to our previous interview with Autumn to learn about her family’s experiences and the impact Japanese American incarceration during World War 2 had on this book.  We give our star and spice ratings, least and most favorites, five sentence summary, and discuss the important tie-ins with real US history, the balance of reality and lived experience with fantasy and folklore, and even go over important facts we should all know.  Recently an offering editor at auction described The Gods Will Sing Our Song as a book that changes the way we look at the world. They said that “Books like these have the power to break our hearts and remake them. They open our eyes to injustice and bring a sense of catharsis to those who’ve encountered its sharp edge. They shout to be seen and heard and remembered - just as we must remember those who came before us, whose joys and scars go on to guide our own life stories. In my opinion, The Gods Will Sing Our Song is exactly such a book.” And we could not agree more.  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ We go behind the book with Autumn Krause and The Gods Will Sing Our Song https://youtu.be/656QHeao6F4?si=VMLZ-zAa6pltOio9 THE Sheila Masterson yaps with us about going trad & her NYT Bestseller The Poison Daughter! Don’t miss it! https://youtu.be/V9MpoOX3CyQ?si=e2uOKPVRQjsIhVCb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: A shirt from Gideon’s Bakehouse | https://merch.gideonsbakehouse.com/ Liz is wearing : A Down the Bond Starborn Crop Tee | Code: Bestiesandthebooks https://www.downthebond.com Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    Ep 126 The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause and The Importance of Historical Romantasy | Book Review + Deep Dive

  4. Sep 4 ·  Bonus

    “THIS IS HORROR!” Dark Age Red Rising Book 5 | Deep Themes, Deep Thoughts, and Recap

    Send us Fan Mail Tis’ a Dark Age Indeed…👯‍♀️US: 🆘We are officially sending out a distress signal to anyone in the galaxy who is willing to listen! 📣Pierce Brown!? Are you out there?! If so, please send help because we’re pretty sure we’re not gonna make it!  …Wait… what was that?  😈Pierce Brown: “The old rage in colder ways, for they alone decide how to spend the young.”  US: 🥺🥺 We’re not going to sugarcoat the truth for you. If you’ve made it this far, you already know that things are not looking good for our heroes of the Republic. In fact, things are extremely dire as the war wages and each character is forced to confront their worst fears. Has all of this death and horror been for nothing? Is Eo’s dream dead? Do any of us really have the power to rewrite our destiny and choose to live for something more, or are we fated to be crushed under the oppressor’s heel?  We kicked off Sci-Fi Summer with a full-length episode introducing the genre and setting the scene for a closer analysis of science fiction. Next, we covered the original trilogy in detail, book one of the second trilogy and have officially rated every book a resounding five stars. Last week’s episode had us living in fear, and our intuition couldn’t have been more spot on because in Dark Age there is something genuinely unspeakable lurking in every shadow… in a way we never saw coming.  Today we’re diving into book five: Dark Age, the middle book of the second major plot arc and what is now being referred to as the “Iron Gold Trilogy.” Political games are being played on an expert level, bloodlines are revealed so new leaders can ascend, and the disturbing jump scare to top all disturbing jump scares now lives rent free in both of our minds.  We bring you our spoiler free reviews, “Five Sentence Summary” and all our faves and least faves, but also discuss sci-fi themes, differences and similarities to fantasy, the romance, genre miscategorization, lore and fun facts, quotes, character growth and relatability, and most importantly… themes. And lastly, we’ll be asking ourselves why this isn’t considered a horror novel, especially after Pierce himself said that fear was the central theme of this book. Bravo, Goodman. And congratulations on fulfilling your goal. We’re terrified.  Next week we’ll continue our coverage with the FINAL available installation in the Red Rising series: Light Bringer. How will we feel after all is said and done, and how uncivilized will we become waiting for Red God, the official conclusion? Red Rising Character Art mentioned: @redmurphy.art on IG Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: a hoodie from @TheLastBookStore Liz is wearing: our branded besties and the books beanie https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com And an Anne of Green Gables “I Can’t I’m in the Depths of Despair!” T-shirt from Amazon | * https://amzn.to/4zYfTME Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    “THIS IS HORROR!” Dark Age Red Rising Book 5 | Deep Themes, Deep Thoughts, and Recap

  5. Sep 1

    Ep 125 *SPOILER FREE* 🔥 Burn of the Everflame and the Epic Conclusion to Kindreds Curse Saga | Penn Cole Interview

    Send us Fan Mail Penn Cole returns to Besties and the Books Podcast returns to Besties to prepare us for all things Burn of the EverFlame! The final installation in her New York Times bestselling Kindred’s Curse Saga drops EVERYWHERE on September 8th! That means that exactly one short week from today we will all know how Diem and Luther’s journey ends… for better or for worse. How high on The Cryometer™ should you expect to get? We’ll tell ya!  This interview is completely spoiler free so we hope that it gets you excited for book four, and if you’re new here, or to this series, that it’ll encourage you to go pick it up! We have deep dives on Spark, Glow, AND Heat if you need a refresher, and a previous Penn Cole interview in which we ask her completely different questions than the ones we dive into today!  Today we’ll talk about how Penn handled the pressure to get this book out, how Burn is different than the previous three books, what the overarching themes and tropes are, and the unexpected POV’s! Penn explains how important redemption and growth are to this story and how the heroine’s journey often can look very different from the hero's experience, and why this is important. We also get the tea on whether or not this story is truly finished, what’s next on Penn’s horizon, and… the Hulu adaptation!  Stick around for all of this, PLUS an unexpected smash or pass, Penn Cole style. And make sure to follow Penn @authorpenncole and at PennCole.com! 👀*Keep an eye out for our deep dive on Burn, (dropping soon) and with it, an emotional and spoiler-full response from Penn about the ending of this beautiful era. We can’t wait to share it with you!* Refresh your Kindred’s Curse memory with our deep dive playlist including Spark of the Everflame, Glow of the Everflame, and Heat of the Everflame! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHf5v0KOoZMmK0bBoRxZWmqNtG88fxs4v&si=GkJUtK08LegXPepj  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ First Penn Cole interview with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb THE Sheila Masterson yaps with us about going trad & her NYT Bestseller The Poison Daughter! Don’t miss it! https://youtu.be/V9MpoOX3CyQ?si=e2uOKPVRQjsIhVCb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: A discontinued Crescent City neckalace Liz is wearing : An “Obey Me” tee by @darkanddisturbedshop | Code: VEGAN10 |  https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/obey-tee?_pos=1&_sid=d26e6a748&_ss=r Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    Ep 125 *SPOILER FREE* 🔥 Burn of the Everflame and the Epic Conclusion to Kindreds Curse Saga | Penn Cole Interview

  6. Aug 28

    Ep 124 MAASPIRACY! Spiraling w/ these *NEW* ACOTAR 6 & 7 Books + Conspiracy Theories!!

    Send us Fan Mail We’re reacting to all things related to the cover and overview releases for ACOTAR 6: A Court of Splintered Harmony, AKA The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement 1, AKA: ACOSH, annnd ACOTAR 7: A Court of Forgotten Melody, AKA The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements 2 & 3, AKA ACOFM, by none other than our lord and savior Sarah J. Maas. If you’re new to us, the book community in general, or the SJM fandom, just know that we love our abbreviations. #cantstopwontstop 😉 YOU GET A MAASPIRACY! And YOU GET A MASSPIRACY! And wait… just look under your seat (or anywhere on the internet) for another special treat! Because YOU GET A MASSPIRACY TOO!  We put on our tin foil hats (seriously, you’re welcome for that visual) and take a deep dive into what we think about: the titles, the cover art, the release date, the color gradients, the page count, and quite literally, every tiny other breadcrumb that Sarah has teased and her insane fandom has speculated on. We react to positive and negative opinions of what little we know, and dive into the connections that we think these new ACOTAR books will have with Throne of Glass and Crescent City and what that might mean for all of our beloved characters.  Was SJM heavily influenced by Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle that was also written in four parts, one named Ride of the Valkyries and another entitled Twilight of the Gods? Is Koschei keeping The Thirteen trapped in his lake? Is it a coincidence that in Norse mythology there are often specifically 13 Valkyries? Why does the King of Adarlan’s sword have the same name (Nothung) as the magical Valkyrie sword in the Ring Cycle?  We’ll give you evidence to substantiate the claims that Bryaxis is actually Kaltain Rompier, that the Stygian Suite (gifted from Sam to Celaena and later performed by the orchestra as an act of rebellion) in addition to the Stygian Spiders on the cover of ACOF-MELODY (!!!) are a clear call out to a TOG crossover, and why we think Crescent City Four will be released before ACOTAR 8, the final piece to this intricately woven puzzle.  Stick around for all of this, PLUS a MAASpiracy themed fave and fail and a smash or pass bookish release edition!  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ THE Sheila Masterson yaps with us about going trad & her NYT Bestseller The Poison Daughter! Don’t miss it! https://youtu.be/V9MpoOX3CyQ?si=e2uOKPVRQjsIhVCb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: A discontinued Valkyrie t-shirt from @wildeShadows | https://www.wildeshadows.com Liz is wearing : A discontinued “Climb the Mountain” ACOSF tee from @shopsecondbreakfast Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    Ep 124 MAASPIRACY! Spiraling w/ these *NEW* ACOTAR 6 & 7 Books + Conspiracy Theories!!

  7. Aug 19

    Ep 123 *NEW* K!nks Unlocked + What We’ve Learned from Romance, Romantasy, and Fantasy Novels

    Send us Fan Mail At this point we think most of us are willing to admit that romance and fantasy novels saved publishing. We watched Barnes & Noble come back from the brink of collapse, Target bring back their book section, and movies made from book adaptations like Wuthering Heights and The Housemaid bring people back to theaters. If you don’t believe us, maybe you’ll believe math - just go look it up.  These genres have historically been diminished in seriousness and importance because women not only see themselves in these stories, but experience joy and pleasure from reading and watching this content. And nothing makes the patriarchy more angry than women having a good time and critiquing the system in the process.  So today, in that similar vein, we will be talking about serious and not-so-serious things that we’ve learned from this community and “kinks” we’ve unlocked because of the books we’ve read in the fantasy, romance, and romantasy genres. Because of the tenacity, intelligence, perseverance and all out badassery of the women who came before us, we’re able to talk about tentacles, flavored “juices,” tactical pants, mafia men, stalkers, and spicy audio on a public platform. WHAT A DAY TO BE ALIVE! And then we take it even further to random pieces of useful information we (and others) have learned from reading these books, and why this community is so important. Everything from the difference between a Wyvern and a dragon, to bodies preserved in bogs, to how to load a canon are on the table, with an overarching theme of: YOU ARE NOT (AND NEVER) ALONE. We promise. This community has taught us that much. Stick around for all of this, a fave and fail movie edition, and a smash or pass upcoming MMC edition.  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: Discontinued Crescent City Necklace Liz is wearing : Obey Me Tee from @darkanddisturbed shop | CODE: VEGAN10 https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/obey-tee?_pos=2&_sid=259fdc487&_ss=r Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    Ep 123 *NEW* K!nks Unlocked + What We’ve Learned from Romance, Romantasy, and Fantasy Novels

  8. Aug 12

    Ep 122 “This is MAJOR!” The Poison Daughter Discussion with Indie to Trad Author Sheila Masterson!

    Send us Fan Mail The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson has taken the Romantasy and Dark Fantasy world by storm and as of August 18th will be rereleased and traditionally published by Zando Publishing in hardcover and dual narrated audiobook! We’re here to celebrate with none other than Sheila herself, the beautiful, smart, and incredibly talented woman behind one of our favorite books of the year, multiple monthly picks for Besties and the Book Club, and USA bestselling author of The Poison Daughter!  You’ve seen the iconic purple cover everywhere. You’ve heard about the chronic illness representation, the sister bond that pulls on every reader’s heartstrings, the forced marriage between enemy kingdoms, and a badass female assassin who unalives dangerous men with her poison kiss… until one day a certain man proves he’s immune. 😉If you haven’t heard about it, now you have absolutely no excuses. Read it right now!  We were introduced to Sheila and her amazing books by our friend and Besties & the Book Club member Katie over @katieandthebooks who relentlessly nominated The Poison Daughter until it got picked, and we are SO eternally grateful to have been introduced to a new book bestie AND an auto-buy author. Just to reiterate, today’s episode will be completely spoiler free, but if Sheila is willing to share any spoilers about upcoming works, we’ll give you a quick warning ahead of time! This episode is here for us to get to know Sheila better and to find out what you’ll be getting into when you pick up her dark romantasy The Poison Daughter, as well as her backlog of previous releases!  When Sheila's not busy stabbing beloved side characters and dreaming up new ways to make her readers cry, you can find her browsing the shelves at local indie bookstores, drinking fancy cocktails with friends, or curled up reading books and tarot. She lives outside Philadelphia with a small army of underwatered houseplants that survive out of spite. Go get your preorders in, and spread the word… your new favorite read has entered the chat! Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…) Shop our Merch line | *  https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck out these narrator interviews? ⬇️ Anthony Palmini gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to voice act Rhysand, Kingfisher, AND Slade Ravinger!  https://youtu.be/zcCyrlZ5Jcc?si=2k7ULbRPgZl_5pUJ Check out these author interviews? ⬇️ Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4 Check the official Follow Up Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of the Split or Swallow Universe all about Between Two Kings! https://youtu.be/OW1cxXTVcTc?si=oOxVIzbIheET_bNE Nikki St. Crowe, the queen of spicy fairy tale retellings chats with us about diving into the land of Oz with West of Wicked! https://youtu.be/wwFYSDKcbtE?si=X6iNmUVAE6Xhmv7B ____ Shop Bookish Merch we are wearing: Ashley is wearing: Discontinued Crescent City Necklace Liz is wearing : Besties and the Books Cropped Hoodie from our Crow Merch Line | * https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.com Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast! Support the show YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable! https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358 Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife  Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllix

    Ep 122 “This is MAJOR!” The Poison Daughter Discussion with Indie to Trad Author Sheila Masterson!
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About

We’re Ashley and Liz, two real-life besties who’ve loved books since we first learned to read, so naturally, we started a podcast! We would say the rest is history but in actuality, it's just the beginning. So come join us in the next chapter of our lives as we introduce ourselves, and laugh our way through the world of books with a focus on Fantasy, Romantasy, and Dark Romance. Of course we have love for all book genres, but those are our absolute favorites!  Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!   YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms @BestiesandtheBooksPodcast   Liz  Instagram | TikTok @TheRealLifeVeganWife   Ashley Instagram | TikTok @AshleyEllixEmail bestiesandthebooks@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Besties and the Books
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    176
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Besties and the Books Podcast
  • Show Website
    Besties and the Books Podcast

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