249 episodes
The Worst Bestsellers Worst Bestsellers
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4.5 • 531 Ratings
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Writer Kait and librarian Renata read bestselling books in an attempt to understand their appeal and, barring that, to become the Crow and Servo of the book world. New episodes every other Monday. Visit WorstBestsellers.com for our readers advisory booklists and other fun stuff.
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Episode 239 – Ice Planet Barbarians
Horny dragons were fun, but we’ve moved on. Onto another planet, actually. Lily Sparks, author of The Merciless King of Moore High, joined us to discuss Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. Upload this episode directly to your alien translator earpiece to listen to it in any language!
Content warning: Dubious consent and mentions of sexual assault.
Readers advisory: Here.
Footnotes: “How sexy blue aliens invaded Amazon’s bestseller lists” by AJ Willingham
About the Motorcycle Clubs
Coming up next: Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini. -
Episode 238 – Fourth Wing
Y’all horny for some dragons? We forged a soul bond with comedian, writer, and Scary Mommy Sarah Aswell by reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros together. Listen to this episode while pondering ways to legally murder your classmates!
Content warning: Here there be dragons. Also, dead parents.
Readers advisory: Here.
Footnotes: “How Rebecca Yarros Packed Dragons, Magic and Steamy Sex Into a Blockbuster Fantasy” by Alexandra Alter
“Q&A: Rebecca Yarros on Chronic Illness Representation in Fourth Wing” by Riyana Straetker
NPR Weekend Edition: “Veronica Roth’s ‘Carve The Mark’ Is A Fantasy Inspired By Chronic Pain”
Coming up next: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. -
Episode 237 – This Present Darkness
The devil made us read This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Fortunately, we were #blessed to be joined by Izzy Wasserstein, author of These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart, who helped safely guide us through this Christian thriller. Listen to this episode while waiting for a cool angel to pick you up on her motorcycle.
Content warning: False accusations of sexual assault, Christian fundamentalism, murder/suicide/demon attack.
Readers advisory: Here.
Footnotes: “This Present Darkness” on Wikipedia
“The long history and slow death of a word once used to describe everyone and everything from Egypt to China as well as rugs” by Yanan Wang
“15 times The X-Files’ Dana Scully was the best character on TV” by Sarah Crocker
Coming up next: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. -
Episode 236 – Icebreaker
Ice, ice, baby! Annie Cardi, author of Red, returned to the podcast to discuss the sexy skater Booktok sensation Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. Join us as we skate back to college and dirty talk our way into the Olympics!
Content warning: Disordered eating, gaslighting, emotional abuse.
Readers advisory: Here.
Footnotes: “Who Is Hannah Grace? And Why Won’t She Show Her Face?” by Elisabeth Egan
Coming up next: This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. -
Episode 235 – Sanctuary
Nora Roberts Month continues! Heidi and Emily from Romancing the Shelf podcast returned and took us back to the 90s with the vintage romantic thriller Sanctuary. Sadly, this book has zero plates of casual pasta but it does have at least 3.5 romantic couples and almost as many murders. Listen to this episode on one of your three computers!
Content warning: Murder, sexual assault, questionable mental health care.
Readers advisory: Here.
Footnotes: Romancing the Shelf – Sanctuary
“Nora Roberts: The woman who rewrote the rules of romantic fiction” by Carole Cadwalladr
Coming up next: Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. -
Episode 234 – Nightwork
Our Lady Nora Roberts has written a book about a handsome criminal who admires good architecture and casual pasta? We’re so back. Our friend and Nora Roberts expert Christine has returned to discuss Nightwork with us. Listen to this episode while working on your night cheese!
Content warning: Cancer, death of a parent.
Readers advisory: Here.
Footnotes: “A Visual Guide to 35 Popular Pasta Shapes — Plus the Best Sauce to Serve with Each” by Rochelle Bilow
Coming up next: Sanctuary by Nora Roberts.
Customer Reviews
Almost enjoyable
I only listen to books I’ve read so I treat this podcast as my own personal book club. I love going through the archives and have listened to all the Twilight episodes. My one issue is the editing: there are ways to adjust the sound so one person isn’t exceptionally louder than the rest. Kait and Renata are rarely at the same volume and the guests are always off. I understand quality won’t always be equal but volume can be normalized in most editing softwares.
Something’s changed
There’s definitely a chance that it’s me that’s changed. But I remember finding the show in 2020 and finding the episodes hilarious but now when I turn it on, it feels more mean and bitter. No book is without faults, but it feels like they’re going in trying to hate it as much as possible. But again, it could definitely be me that’s changed.
One thing that really drives me insane is that these ladies don’t like romance. They say they do, but they like a particular sub genre. Whenever they read a romance novel, they criticize what a lot of romance novel usually contain. The romance novel you picked up has sex in it, why are you acting like you’re gonna vomit.
I think I’m gonna have to move on and find a different book podcast.
Simply lovely!
Came for the episode about Michelle Remembers thanks to a Reddit suggestion, but immediately scrolled through and saved a ton of interesting sounding episodes as soon as it finished. I enjoy the format and the commentary, and I love book talk/snark! Very happy to have found this!