The Worst Bestsellers

You may be thinking that you haven’t heard of The Company of Vengeful Crows by Lana Pecherczyk, and that’s fair. But perhaps you’ve heard of Plastic Girl vs Dangerous Crow Boy? Well, that’s this. We were joined by writer, podcaster, and corvid enthusiast Margaret H. Willison to discuss this truly wild shifter romance. If you happen to be listening to this episode 2,000 years in the future, you must have figured out a way to stream it without using plastic or metal, because those materials are illegal.

Readers advisory: Here.

Foot...

Get in losers, we’re going All The Way to the River. We read Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest book with guest Jack Lawler of Work.Retire.Die, The Daily Friday, and The Daily Friday podcast. If you’ve heard anything about this book, you’re probably wondering: did this lady try to kill her wife or what? Well, you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 209 – Eat Pray Love

“Elizabeth Gilbert opens up about sex, drugs and codependency in a new memoir” by Tonya Mosely

...

Move over, Rhonda Byrne. The Secret is old news. We were joined by Dr. Sarah Bay, a woman in STEM and our Dan Brown correspondent, to read The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown. Thanks (?) to our Beloved Patrons for choosing this title as this year’s Patreon Choice read!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 27 – Inferno

R2-D2 of Prague

Dale of Norway

The Legend of the Golem

Coming up next: All The Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Are you guys looking for an absolutely addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist? Well, great news: we read The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. Even greater news: we were joined by Rax King, author of Tacky and Sloppy, and cohost of the Low Culture Boil podcast! Listen to this episode while you clean your house–or better yet, while someone else cleans your house.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: The Housemaid movie trailer

Coming up next: The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown.

Hullo, chums! After we…liked (we’re pretty sure) reading Bride last year, we decided to check out the sequel, Mate by Ali Hazelwood. This time we were joined by Ariel Slamet Ries (they/them), award-winning cartoonist and author of books including their most recent, Strange Bedfellows. Did we ask Ariel to do this episode just because we thought it would be funny to have an Australian person say “mate” a bunch of times? No! Well, not only because of that. Listen to this episode while making pancakes for your werewolf pack.

Readers advisory: Here.

Foo...

Are you perhaps looking for a perfectly pleasant podcast? Well, unfortunately, we read Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. We were joined by artist, poet, and Kait’s roommate KL (they/them) to unpack all of Dexter’s astonishingly awkward alliteration. Listen to this episode while arranging your Barbie crime scene dioramas.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Surprise, Motherfucka” Vine

Jeff Lindsay AMA on Reddit

Dark Passenger Origins

Skip Hollandsworth for Texas Monthly

How Sociopaths Actually Act by Patric Gagne

Coming up next: Mate by Ali Haze

We’ve been doing this podcast for eleven years, and to celebrate we made our very first guest Carrie keep reading the Crave series. Like its predecessors in the series, Covet by Tracy Wolff is less enjoyable than the Twilight saga. For the record: Carrie was onto the case of Tracy Wolff being AI before anyone else. Thank you all for joining us over the last 11 years! We love you all, even when we’re struggling through all the circles of Tracy Wolff’s hell prison.

Readers advisory: Here.

Announcement: Patreon Patrons...

Hey girl! Stay sexy good and don’t read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. We made Anna read it with us, so you don’t have to. Listen to this episode while you wait in the panini queue.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: GCSEs on Wikipedia

Suzie Izzard on Chocolate Biscuits (and Jammie Dodgers)

Coming up next: Covet by Tracy Wolff.

Well, we couldn’t keep running from James Patterson for ever. Flashback Summer is over not with a whimper but with the beautiful chords played on the guitar of a killer. We were joined by Dolly Parton fan Grace to discuss Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson. Play this episode during your next truckjacking.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #265 – My Life and Other Unfinished Business

Dolly Parton’s America podcast

James Fouhey on AudioFile

“Tomato-Gate” on Wikipedia

“Camel case” on Wikipedia

“Gypsy, Joe and...

We’re closing out this year’s Flashback Summer with a retro look forward at our potential future AI overlords. Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM by Ellen MacGregor & Dora Pantell. If you’ve never heard of Miss Pickerell, don’t worry–we hadn’t either. (She’s out of print!) Fortunately, our guest, Dr. Liz W. Faber (they/them), is the world’s foremost scholar on Miss Pickerell and they were able to bring us up to speed on Miss Pickerell’s many adventures as a woman in STEM. If LLMs are being trained on transcripts of this...

Hold on to your butts, and, more importantly, your crystal cutters! We read Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey. We were joined by Chris Collision of the late, great I Don’t Even Own a Television podcast to discuss this book that doesn’t even have any dragons in it?! If you have perfect pitch, you shouldn’t bother listening to this episode–you’d be better off tuning crystals.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 268 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Coming up next: Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM by Ellen MacGregor & Dora

Flashback Summer continues even in parallel universes! Comics editor Jennifer M. Smith joined us to discuss Search for Senna (Everworld #1) by K. A. Applegate. We’re traveling back to a time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought Norse mythology to the American mainstream. Listen to this episode while browsing your local Borders bookstore.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #53 – The Baby-Sitters Club

Episode #52 – Animorphs #1

Episode 242 – The Discovery

A Friendly Reminder K. A. Applegate Is An LGBTQ+ Ally

Coming up next: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey.

Don’t Panic! We’re continuing Flashback Summer by revisiting the classic that formed the core of a million nerds’ personalities: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. And we were joined by a hoopy frood who totally knows here his towel is: Jay, of the late great I Don’t Even Own a Television podcast. So long and thanks for all the pods!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Towel Day

Coming up next: Search for Senna (Everworld #1) by K. A. Applegate.

We’re getting back to nature with this Flashback Summer episode. Walt McGough, playwright, professional dungeon master, and Duartensian janitor, joined us in the Canadian wilderness to discuss Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Make sure to download a copy of this episode for your emergency Go Bag!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #200 (featuring Walt DMing our D&D game set in the land of Duartensia)

Coming up next: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

We’re kicking off this year’s Flashback Summer with a trip back to the early 90s, when Kait and her brother Brendan were reading the big X-Men X-Over event: Phalanx Covenant. If you were wondering if Wolverine is in this one: oh yeah, bub! Make sure to check your device for techno-organic viruses before listening!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: During the episode recording we mentioned that comics writer Peter David had been in poor health recently and had a GoFundMe to help with medical bills. Sadly, since the time of the recording, Peter...

Well, howdy! We read Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business by Dolly Parton and we enjoyed it more than a drag queen enjoys Dolly’s wardrobe. Listen to this episode on your way to your 9-5 job!

Bonus photos:

Celebrity Memoir May is here! We don’t know a lot about the show One Tree Hill, but we love vampires and cults so we thought that qualified us to read Dinner For Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show While Also In An Actual Cult! by Bethany Joy Lenz. Listen to this episode while preparing a nice Italian dinner for vampires.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Reddit post guessing who’s behind the pseudonyms used in the book

An Oral History of the Time a Dog Ate a Heart on ‘One Tree Hill...

Snow lands on top! Haymitch lands in the arena! And we were once again #blessed to get Mackenzi Lee, author of many books including Winter Soldier: Cold Front and her upcoming adult debut Lady Like, to join us! We read Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. and, spoiler alert: it’s a Best Bestseller. We’re spoiling the heck out of this book and we do all recommend reading it if you’re a Hunger Games fan, so you might want to hold off on listening to this episode if you haven’t read Sunrise on the Reap...

Hey, remember that bitch that had two dragons? She survived year one of murder school and she’s back for more! Our friend Laura joined us to read Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Listen to this episode while you chase your next McGuffin!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 238 – Fourth Wing

Coming up next: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

Some of you might be on spring break, but for us? Class is in session at Vampire Academy. We read Richelle Mead’s series launch with Sarah Elizabeth Gallagher (@SarahElizabeth_Talks) vampire video queen and and author of the upcoming book Why We Love (and Hate) Twilight. Join as we discuss vampire royalty and pray for a cure for Sandovsky Syndrome.

Content warning: Self harm.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Vampire Academy on AO3

Coming up next: Iron Flame by Rebecca Y

Did you ever read Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women and think to yourself, “This Jo/Amy/Laurie love triangle is so played out. Why aren’t any of the March sisters horny for Laurie’s grandfather?” If so, you might be Porter Grand, the co-author of Little Women and Werewolves. We were thrilled to be joined by Kathleen Gros (@kagcomix), cartoonist and author of the upcoming graphic novels Carousel Summer and I Hated You in High School. Listen to this episode during the next full moon!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes...

To conclude Nora Roberts Month, we read Birthright, a novel that is not about Israel. It’s about the Cullen Family and their long lost Baby Jessica! Heidi and Emily of the Romancing the Shelf podcast joined us to dig deep into the archaeological mysteries of this novel. Listen to this episode while driving around in your car that someone graffiti’d “Doctor Bitch” onto!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Romancing the Shelf: Birthright 

Coming up next: Little Women and Werewolves by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand.

Dragon Fever has been sweeping the nation, and Our Lady Nora Roberts has been infected. Our reigning Nora Roberts expert Christine Ricketts, author of The Ship, has returned to discuss The Awakening (Book #1 of the Dragon Heart Legacy) with us. Listen to this on your next dragon ride!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Guide to Irish Names and Terms in The Awakening

Full English Breakfast vs Full Irish Breakfast: What’s the Difference?

Coming up next: Birthright by Nora Roberts.

(Shania Twain voice): Looks like we made it! As 2024–our tenth year of podcasting–draws to a close, we are once again taking a moment to discuss some good books! These are our favorite books we read this year (regardless of publication date). Maybe you’ll find some good recommendations here to start your 2025 reading year strong!

Coming up next: A January hiatus. Happy New Year! We’ll see you in February!

Kait’s Top 5 Best

5.) D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins

4.) Mister Magic...

Oh, how the worm turns! We read Dune by Frank Herbert, mostly as a Christmas present to returning guest Anna (@lcarslibrarian) but perhaps also a gift to you, the listener? Please keep in mind: we haven’t watched the movies and we don’t know how these names are pronounced, and if you are mean to us about that you will face our gom jabbars! (Or is it goms jabbar?) Anyway, listen to this episode while you walk without rhythm.

Content warning: Worms.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Dune on Wikipedia

“Ho...

Your faithful podcasters decided that they’ve been nice all year, so they get to read a fun holiday romance novel as a treat! Returning guest Helena Greer, author of the Carrigan’s Christmasland series, joined us to make the Yuletide gay with The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky. Listen to this episode while baking cookies for Santa! (Who is real, and really gay!)

Readers advisory: Here.

Coming up next: Dune by Frank Herbert.

On occasion, listeners have suggested Uglies by Scott Westerfeld as a Flashback Summer title, but since we’re all Crumblies here, we were full adults when this contemporary classic YA dystopian novel was released.  Our book club hostess/cult leader Grace joined us to discuss this book that some of us think deserves Best Bestseller status. Listen to this episode while waiting for your SpagBol to cook!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Laverne Cox Talks Pretty Privilege And ‘UGLIES’ Role” by Janeé Bolden

Coming up next: The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky

Our Beloved Patrons voted for us to read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We invited a woman in STEM, returning guest Sarah, to join us for this episode. Pour yourself a travel cup of C8H10N4O2 and listen to this episode while walking your dog (who is so well-behaved they don’t need a leash, of course).

Content warnings: Sexual assault.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Lessons in Chemistry Leaves Six-Thirty Fans in the Doghouse” by Erin Qualey

“What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discov...

Hold onto your tampons: we read Carrie by Stephen King. Our friend Nicole returned to the podcast to read this classic horror novel that’s even bloodier than Gerald’s Game. Listen to this episode while honing your telekinetic powers!

Content warnings: Religious extremism, child abuse, death of children

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 41 – Gerald’s Game

 “And Eve Was Weak” from Carrie: The Musical

Coming up next: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

It’s spooky season, and what could be scarier than heterosexual werewolf knotting erotica? The fact that we both might have…liked it? Eek! We read Bride by Ali Hazelwood and we still aren’t sure exactly how we felt about it. Listen to this episode while you give blood.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 201 – The Love Hypothesis

How Omegaverse Came to Dominate Fanfiction, and Why That Might Not Be Such a Bad Thing by Yvonne Gonzales

Coming up next: Carrie by Stephen King.

Thanks to Porter Square Books for hosting our 250th Anniversary live show! And thanks to everyone who turned out in person or for the livestream! If you missed it, or just want to relive it without all that pesky visual input, here’s the audio-only version of that episode. Meredith Goldstein (the Boston Globe’s Love Letters columnist, author of books including Things That Grow, and Horny Faeries enthusiast) joined us to discuss House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. Fortunately (for Renata’s parents, who were in attendance) or unfortunately (for readers), this book wasn’t...

We’ve come so far from our first episode, and yet we’re still talking about teen vampires with Carrie. Unfortunately, we’re still out of Stephenie Meyer content so we had to read Crush by Tracy Wolff. If the cliffhanger ending of Crave left you wondering how Grace was going to turn back into a human after getting stuck as a gargoyle…well, this won’t help. Thanks for keeping us running for almost 250 episodes!

Readers advisory: Here.

Announcement: RSVP for our live show at Porter Square Books Boston on Tuesday, Septe...

Hot Evelyn Summer comes to a bewildering conclusion with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. We were joined by writer and standup comedian Laura Merli (@passiveabrasive) to discuss this time loop locked room mystery. Fun fact: the American publisher added a 1/2 death to make this title less similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Listen to this episode after watching Laura’s new standup special, Belly Slappin’ Fun, on YouTube!

Readers advisory: Here.

Announcement: RSVP for our live show at Porter Square Books Boston on Tuesday, September 17th at 6pm!<...

Don’t cry because Flashback Summer is over; smile because Hot Evelyn Summer is beginning! Returning bisexual icon Margaret H. Willison (1/3 of Two Bossy Dames, don’t check the math) joined us to discuss The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. We had a great time unpacking Evelyn’s wardrobe (which is much more substantial than her frame narrative). If you listen to this episode, you’ll come closer to being able to distinguish Evelyn Hugo from Evelyn Hardcastle.

Readers advisory: Here.

Announcement: RSVP for our live show at Porter Square Boo...

Hold on to your sock wine, because we’re ending this year’s Flashback Summer with a real rager! We were joined by Courtney Summers, author of I’m The Girl and other rad books, to discuss Stacey and the Bad Girls (Baby-Sitters Club #87) by Ann M. Martin. Listen to this episode on your way to the big U4Me concert!

Readers advisory: Here.

Announcement: RSVP for our live show at Porter Square Books Boston on Tuesday, September 17th at 6pm!

Footnotes: Stacey and the Bad Girls on the BSC Fan W...

By popular demand, we took Flashback Summer to the land of Tortall. Rebecca Kim Wells, author of Briar Girls and other great queer fantasy books, joined us to discuss Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. Put on your purple contact lenses and listen to this episode while you study the blade.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Tamora Pierce name pronunciation

Tamora Pierce’s statement on J.K. Rowling

Coming up next: Stacey and the Bad Girls (Baby-Sitters Club #87) by Ann M. Martin.

We were digging through some boxes in our totally not-haunted attic and found Stonewords by Pam Conrad. It seemed like a chill Flashback Summer vibe, so we had our friend KL join us to discuss it. Be careful not to play this episode around your secret ghost friend–they might get jealous!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Pam Conrad’s obituary.

Coming up next: Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.

Flashback summer, eh? Ann Foster of Vulgar History joined us to read No Coins, Please, an early work by the venerable Canadian author Gordon Korman. Listen to this episode while driving cross-country with a van full of chaotic tweens!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: About Gordon Korman

Coming up next: Stonewords by Pam Conrad.

It’s Morphin’ Time! We’re kicking off Flashback Summer Animal Style. We returned to the world of the Animorphs by reading the three books in the iconic David Saga–The Discovery (#20), The Threat (#21) and The Solution (#22), all by K.A. Applegate. We were joined by Moniquill Blackgoose, author of To Shape a Dragon’s Breath. Listen to this episode while driving to the mall to pick up a Cinnabon and/or fight a lion!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 52 – Animorphs #1

We continue Celebrity Memoir May with another wronged woman of the early 00s, Ms. Jessica Simpson. Annie Cardi, author of Red, joined us in righteous indignation on behalf of our favorite former Newlywed after reading her memoir Open Book. Listen to this episode while practicing your Dukes of Hazzard-style stunt driving.

Content warnings: Child sexual abuse, substance abuse, publicly being a woman in the early 00s.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Wait a Sec…Jessica Simpson’s Beloved ‘Cottage’ from Her Memoir Is Literally a Mansion (and J-Law Lives There Now!)” by Dara Katz

Unlike Scientology, Celebrity Memoir May is inescapable. Known Suppressive Person, librarian, and author Angie Manfredi (@MissKubelik) joined us to discuss Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini. Join us as we swear oaths of fealty to the Queen of Queens!

Content warning: Verbal abuse, icky parenting, escaping a cult.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “A Strange Chapter in ‘Wog”s Hateful History”

The Underground Bunker

“Exclusive: Shelly Miscavige and The Missing Scientologists: How The LAPD Made Scientology’s Problem Go Away” by Yashar Ali

Leah Remini’s “...

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...

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 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 d...

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.

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 C...

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.

Once again, we’ve managed to sneak in a few good books this year! Here are our favorite books we read in 2023 (regardless of publication year. Long live backlist titles!)

Footnotes: Boston Globe’s Best Books of 2023 (featuring Renata’s picks for middle grade and YA!)

Coming up next: A January hiatus. Happy New Year! We’ll see you in February!

Kait’s Top 5 Best

We finished our adventures with the Time Traveler’s Wife but decided to linger in the 2000s for awhile longer. Friend of the Show (and the Internet’s Best Friend) Margaret H. Willison joined us to discuss Britney Spears’s memoir The Woman In Me. Listen to this episode instead of listening to the music of Justin Timberlake!

Content warning: This book contains abuse, abortion, disordered eating, and all the other stuff you’d assume.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Miss American Dream” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

“Craig Ferguson’s Monologue Defending Britney S...

We held our annual Patreon Choice poll and our Beloved Patrons chose to send us back in time to 2003 with The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Since the book is prominently set in Chicago, we were #blessed to be joined by prominent Chicagoan Ashley to unpack the Jeremy Bearimy of it all. Please do not listen to this episode while having sex with your future wife for the first time.

Content warning: Sketchy time travel age/consent issues, death of a partner, miscarriages.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Popular Titles are Van...

A cautionary tale: too many people complained about this book online so we were dumped into an arena and forced to publicly defend it to the death. Mackenzi Lee, author of many Best Bestselling books including The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and The Winter Soldier: Cold Front, has returned to the podcast to get to talk about a book we all actually enjoyed: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. The Capitol has mandated that all citizens listen to this episode, so please comply with their decree.

Content war...

Spooky season is here, so we were joined by Lily Sparks, author of the Teen Killers Club trilogy (including the latest book, Teen Killers at Large) and the upcoming The Merciless King of Moore High. We got witchy with the Owens women in Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. This episode will bring all the cats to the schoolyard!

Announcement: Join us in our Discord server on Monday, October 30th at 8:30pm Eastern Time for a live watch of the Practical Magic movie! (It’s currently streaming on Hulu.)

Content warning: Light mention of deat...

We just wrapped up Banned Books Week in the USA, a time to celebrate our freedom to read and also to speak up about book challenges! We were joined by Jen and Dan, the hosts of the Banned Camp podcast, where they read banned books to investigate why they were banned. They previously read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which is frequently banned and challenged. So together we read the controversial Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee, and you know what…maybe we’re challenging it. No, like, we’re not going to call for it...

It’s our 9th podiversary! We’ve run out of Stephenie Meyer books so we decided to have our OG guest Carrie return to check out a series whose marketing team would certainly love for us to think it was written by SMeyer: Crave by Tracy Wolff. Thanks to everyone for joining us for these past 9 years, and let’s all work on manifesting a new Twilight book for next year!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: 360+ Teen Slang, Emojis, & Hashtags Parents Need to Know 

Coming up next: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.

We’re topping off this year’s Flashback Summer with a pair of red–some would say auburn–braids. We were joined by Hannah and Marcelle, the cohosts of Witch, Please and Material Girls, to discuss Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Pour yourselves a cup of raspberry cordial and listen to this podcast on your train journey from the orphanage!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial recipe by Tori Avey

The Real Reason ‘Anne With an E’ Was Canceled by Netflix Is Heartbreaking by Katie Bourque<...

For Flashback Summer we decided to get away from it all with a visit to an exclusive desert spa. Unfortunately, the spa was plagued with black widow spiders, blackmailers, and other concerns. Fortunately, Kristin, the host of the Kristin Sleuth YouTube channel, was able to talk us through Nancy Drew #111: The Secret at Solaire by Carolyn Keene. This episode is not sponsored by Solaire moisturizer.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 55 – Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys

Kristin Sleuth on YouTube

Crime Pays, Botany Doesn’t on YouTube

It’s a...

Breaking Flashback Summer News: in the title of the book Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison, “Angus” refers to the cat! Renata was almost as excited about this fact as she was about convincing JJ, aka S. Jae-Jones, author of Guardians of Dawn: Zhara to return as a guest for this episode! Listen to this episode while shaving your eyebrows (or while you are homebound, waiting for your eyebrows to regrow).

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Time 100 Best YA Books Of All Time: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

Coming...

For this Flashback Summer episode, the Bellwether Friends Anna & Alene joined Renata to discuss Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry. Sadly, Kait had to miss this one because she was busy shopping for her new poetry outfit, which would make Anastasia green with envy. Listen to this episode while you update the list of “loves” and “hates” in your notebook!

Kait’s Poetry Outfit:

Were you looking for sound medical advice to treat snakebites and rabies? Well, we do not recommend consulting Trixie Belden #1: The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell for first aid training. However, we had a great time talking to returning guest Carrie about this Flashback Summer mystery novel.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: The Trixie Belden Series

WikiHow: How to Treat a Snake Bite

WikiHow: How to Spot Rabies in a Dog

Coming up next: Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry.

Help! We’re trapped in the bodies of millennial podcasters! Andrew and Craig from the Overdue podcast joined us to discuss the classic switcheroo tale Help! I’m Trapped In My Teacher’s Body by Todd Strasser. Listen to this episode while your coworker makes you breakfast!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: A Taste of Spongey: Help! I’m Trapped in the First Day of School

Overdue #590 – Super Mario Bros movie adaptation

Coming up next: The Secret of the Mansion (Trixie Belden #1) by Julie Campbell.

It’s–hey, calm down, no, put down your pitchforks, we’re not calling Judy Blume a “worst” bestseller! Absolutely not, just, please, let me finish this intro–it’s Flashback Summer! The time when we chill out and revisit childhood favorites, even when they are iconic classics that absolutely do not match the name of our podcast. We were joined by writer and comedian Sarah Aswell (@seaswell),  also known as the Scary Mommy behind Scary Mommy Book Club, to discuss Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by the one and only Judy Blume. Listen to t...

Hey, we’ll be honest: we kind of phoned this one in. On a landline. You screened it? On your answering machine? Haha, a topical reference. See, we read Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and The Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp. He was in Rent! Listen to this episode while waiting in line for rush tickets for Rent. Or, honestly, don’t listen to this episode if you don’t care about Rent the musical. You’ve been warned!

Content warning: Sexual assault, death of a parent.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnote...

Pamela Anderson: model, actress, activist…poet. Dame Karen Corday (of Two Bossy Dames and elsewhere on the internet!) joined us to read Love, Pamela, which…we kinda loved. Join us as we revisit the 90s with increased feminist rage!

Content warning: Child abuse/child sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “What to Read, Watch, and Listen to After the Pam & Tommy Finale” by Sophie Brookover and Karen Corday

Pamela Anderson Blue Zone Girl ad

Pamela Anderson’s Playboy Covers Through the Years

Coming up nex...

As Americans, it’s our right to not pay attention to the British royal family. However, we’re waiving that right in order to read Spare by Prince Harry. We were thrilled to be joined by Dame Sophie of Two Bossy Dames–even more thrilled than Harry was to meet Will Arnett at a party at Courtney Cox’s house. Listen to this episode on your way to throw more tea into Boston Harbor.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Prince Harry Holds Spike the Echidna

The Victorian Society in America

“Roya...

Divorced, beheaded, subjected to an extremely long and boring work of historical fiction. Ann Foster from Vulgar History joined us to discuss The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. We were glad for Ann’s expertise, because now we now that it’s historically inaccurate in addition to being super boring. Listen to this episode on your way to your next gay witchcraft circle!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Brimping.

Gable hoods.

Coming up next: Spare by Prince Harry.

Did you read Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and think, “This could really use more victim blaming?” If so: have we got a book for you! Kristen and Jolenta from How To Be Fine (and By the Book) joined us to discuss Beauty Fades, Dumb Is Forever: The Making of a Happy Woman by Judge Judy Sheindlin. Listen to this episode on your way to pick up your husband’s dry cleaning!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: By The Book: Beauty Fades, Dumb Is Forever

Judge Judy To Megyn Kelly: ‘...

We got tired of waiting for Stephenie Meyer’s latest book, so we checked out a book that some book bloggers are saying Stephenie Meyer wrote. Corinne is written by Rebecca Morrow, whose author bio simply states, “Rebecca Morrow is a pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling author.” We had our friend Margaret H. Willison (of Two Bossy Dames, among other projects) join us to investigate Morrow’s identity: is she Stephenie Meyer? Or perhaps an even more dazzling author? Listen to this episode to find out!

Content warning: Religious trauma.

Readers advisory: H...

Dear Ellen, our friend Vanessa from the podcast Hot and Bothered flew in from Plethora, Maine to discuss Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us. Millions of BookTokkers can’t be wrong…can they? Listen to this episode in Boston, where everything is better.

Content warning: Domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual assault, death of a child.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Bestselling writer Colleen Hoover apologizes for planned coloring book based on domestic violence novel” by Issy Ronald.

Hot and Bothered: It Ends With Us

Coming up next: Corinne by Re...

Although we had to check out of the real life Inn BoonsBoro, we were able to return there through the power of fiction. We read the second book in the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy, The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts, with our returning guest and Nora Roberts expert Christine.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Inn BoonsBoro

Coming up next: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.

Thanks to our wonderful Patreon Patrons, we recently traveled to Nora Roberts’ bed and breakfast in Maryland, Inn BoonsBoro, along with our Resident Nora Roberts Expert, Christine, and Resident Robe Expert, Nicole! Please enjoy this bonus episode where the four of us talk about our luxurious weekend stay, debate the content of a dolphin massage, and fail to accurately describe the size of a pretzel.

Footnotes: Romancing The Shelf: Our Trip to BoonsBoro!

Inn BoonsBoro

Gifts Inn BoonsBoro

Ghost-scented lotion!

Bespoke tea blends!

Dan’...

It’s our first episode of the year and we’re already longing to get away from it all. So we were joined by Heidi and Emily of the Romancing the Shelf podcast to discuss the book The Next Always by Nora Roberts. But also more importantly, we discussed Inn BoonsBoro, the B&B where this book is set, but also the B&B that Nora Roberts owns in real life! Heidi and Emily gave Kait and Renata travel tips for their upcoming stay in BoonsBoro. Listen to this episode on your way to pick up your...

Another year has come and gone, and yet we’re still here, talking about books! For a treat, here are some good ones.

Footnotes: Boston Globe’s Best Books of 2022 (featuring Renata’s picks for middle grade and YA!)

Coming up next: A January hiatus. Happy New Year! We’ll see you in February!

Kait’s Top 5 Best

Democracy works: our Patreon patrons voted for us to read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, so we did. And we, along with our returning guest Meredith Goldstein, of the Boston Globe’s Love Letters, actually kinda…loved it? Sorry haters, we’ve been Gilbertpilled. Listen to this episode while eating incredible homemade pasta, or just some frozen pizza if you’re currently in the USA.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “The ‘Eat Pray Love’ Problem: How Movie Liz Ruined The Story Of Book Liz” by Linda Holmes

“In which I don’t review ‘Eat Pray Lov...

Duarte’s been asking us for more feline representation, so we were joined by Phillip Mottaz, author of the Psychic Barber Mystery series, to read the first Mrs. Murphy mystery, Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. It’s a small town cozy mystery solved by a postmistress and her pets. Unfortunately, the pets have weirdly regressive attitudes. Turn the volume up on this episode to make sure you can hear it over all the almonds being blended!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Rita Mae Brown’s Wikipedia page

Co...

We reunited with Sydney and Delaney from Book Cult to discuss the cult-adjacent teachings of Sylvia Browne, as presented in her book Blessings From The Other Side: Wisdom and Comfort From the Afterlife For This Life. Play this one extra loud to make sure that it’s audible to the spirits hovering three feet above you!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Book Cult Episode 43: Blessings From The Other Side

Book Cult Episode 75: Worst Bestsellers (that’s us!) 

John Oliver is sensing a ‘p’ for ‘predatory bullshit’ as Last Week Tonight debu...

With Saturation Day (and spooky season!) upon us, Kait retreated to her queers-only bunker with returning guests Wren and Laura to discuss Chuck Tingle’s horror novella Straight. Listen to see what happens when three type-A planners read a book about the type of people who don’t google the menu before going to a new restaurant.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Nightfire Proves Love is Real With Chuck Tingle’s Horror Novel, Camp Damascus

Coming up next: Blessings from the Other Side by Sylvia Browne.

We got tired of reading reality TV memoirs, so instead we read a thinly-veiled reality television novel, L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad. Some of us (Renata) enjoyed it more than others of us (Kait), but we were both thrilled to talk to Helena Greer (@BlumAgainCurios), the author of Season of Love and the upcoming For Never And Always.

Readers advisory: Here.

Candy pairing: Helena says Sour Patch Kids, Kait says a big novelty lollipop, Renata says cotton candy.

Footnotes: Fug Girls Book Club: Lauren Conrad’s L.A. Candy

“La...

It’s our 8th anniversary, and Stephenie Meyer has rudely not written anything new for us to read, so instead we decided to take a page from Diana Gabaldon and time travel through our past. We recorded this supersized Origin Stories episode where we answer listener questions, talk about the history of our friendship and our podcast, and only cry a little bit! Thanks for listening to us for 8! years!

Footnotes: Check out our newly revamped and relaunched merch store on TeePublic! Flash sale until 9/28/22!

The Secret: We don’t understand electricity, but we us...

We were so thrilled to be joined by Bobby Finger, cohost of the Who? Weekly podcast and author of the upcoming book The Old Place! We read How To Be A Boss Bitch by Christine Quinn, the star of Netflix’s Selling Sunset and confirmed Diva Boss Bitch. This book gave Bobby a chance to share his considerable reality television expertise with us, while we summoned all the knowledge of past self-help books to get through this bitchy, yet derivative read. Listen to this episode while lounging on the yacht that you manifested!

Read...

We are once again returning to the rosy world of The Bachelor with our special guest Rebecca Kim Wells (@RebeccaWriting), Bachelor fan and the author of Shatter The Sky, Storm The Earth, and Briar Girls. This time we had the good sense to read Miss Me With That by Rachel Lindsay, a woman who found love on reality television and then was smart enough to walk away from the franchise.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 159 – The First Time

“Rachel Lindsay and Raven Gates: A Timeline of the ‘Bachelor’ Alums’ Friendship and Falling Out” by...

Our sweet Flashback Summer is finally over and we’ve reluctantly returned to the world of modern publishing. Dee Ernst, author of Lucy Checks In, joined us to discuss the certified #BookTok sensation, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. We’ll unpack this Star Wars fanfiction turned fake dating romance novel, google Adam Driver’s height, and lament the lack of porgs. Listen to this episode while curing cancer!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Reddit Thread: The Love Hypothesis, Who is Who?

Reddit Thread: Looking for a Copy of Head over...

It’s our 200th episode! Which means we have read approximately 200 books, and therefore we deserve a break. Walt, the professional DM from First Time at the Table (and husband to past podcast guest Annie Cardi), led a delightful Dungeons & Dragons adventure set in the magical world of Duartensia. Kait played as The Rock, Renata played as Wolverine, and past guest Danielle (of Hello World Tarot) played as Angela Weber. Listen now to find out if these chaotic adventurers can restore good literature to the land!

Footnotes: First Time At The Table (use promo...

When we asked Chris Collision (cohost of I Don’t Even Own A Television) for his Flashback Summer choice of childhood favorite book, he surprised us with a title we’d never heard of before. And then Diane Duane surprised us with The Door Into Fire, a delightfully queer fantasy novel that was so great, we couldn’t believe we hadn’t heard of it before! Listen to this episode while riding your hot fire horse through the Waste.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Diane Duane’s Door Into Starlight Status Update

The Door Int...

Happy Fourth of July! Buy Westing Paper Products! Flashback Summer continues with a book that’s such a stone-cold classic, we strongly advise that you not listen to this episode if you haven’t read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Our guest, J.W. Friedman from the I Don’t Even Own a Television podcast, joined us to discuss this iconic mystery that won the 1979 Newbery Medal. Listen to this episode in between checking stock prices on your transistor radio. (But, again, only after you’ve read the book! Please!)

Readers advisory: Here.

The day has arrived: Renata read her very first Goosebump novel. Courtney Summers, Best Bestselling author of books like The Project and the upcoming I’m The Girl, joined us to discuss Night of the Living Dummy by R. L. Stine. Please rate this episode 10/10 Splats in the Apple Podcasts store.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes:

Episode #54 – R. L. Sti

As the earth makes another journey around the sun (allegedly), we return to Flashback Summer. Writer Annie Cardi (@AnnieCardi) returned to the show to discuss A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle, a formative read for many 90s children who aspired to be psychic marine biologists. Listen on your way to the beach, and make sure to share it with any dolphins who might want to listen in!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “The World” by Henry Vaughn

Depresh Mode #61 – Maggie Smith

“Good Bones” by Maggie Smith

“Try to Pra...

Sure, we at Worst Bestsellers have read several self-help books over the years, but you may be asking: what about the men? Oh, you weren’t asking? Well, Dave Hollis (ex-husband of Rachel) is concerned, and he wrote Get Out Of Your Own Way to help men understand that they have problems too. And we made that Margaret Willison‘s problem, as she returned to discuss this book with us. Turn your volume up to bless up!

Our friends at Porter Square Books hosted us for this virtual live show! If you watched it on C...

We asked a djinn to bring us a book that could be adapted into a video game, a Netflix series, and a podcast episode, and we got The Witcher: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. We were joined by Arielle to discuss this book that, to our great surprise, was actually pretty good–and best of all, didn’t even have a fantasy map in it. Hire a bard to perform this episode for you in your local tavern!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “What Was Geralt’s Last Wish in The Witcher?” by Sadie Gennis...

Every once in awhile it’s nice to read something that’s so bad it truly reminds us why we do what we do. We were joined by Rachel Andelman (of Union Comedy, Improv Boston, 2MB Studios, and Smiling Women Comix) to discuss The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Listen to this episode on your next long, pointless run!

Content warning: It turns out that James Dashner was dropped by his agent and publisher following accusations of sexual harassment in 2018 and we didn’t find that out until we checked his wiki page at the very en...

What’s new, pussycat? We were joined by Meredith Goldstein, the Boston Globe’s Love Letters columnist and podcaster (and author of Things That Grow), to discuss Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas. It’s a book about DC’s horniest character written by one of the horniest YA authors of our time, so why was this book so focused on serious medical conditions? Listen to this episode while you prepare for your next gala.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Ranking 10 Batman actors from best to worst” by Meredith Goldstein

Coming up next: The Maze...

Announcement: On Thursday, April 14th at 8PM Eastern, we’ll be doing a virtual live show presented by Porter Square Books! Our very special guest Margaret H. Willison will join us to discuss Get Out Of Your Own Way by Dave Hollis (aka the man whose divorce was washed by Rachel Hollis). The event is free and will be recorded and archived if you can’t make it on the 14th.

Register here!

The Worst Best Friends have reconvened at the high school carnival! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the kissing booth is closed, but returning guests Anna and Alene (aka the Bellwether Friends) still joined us to discuss The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles. We discussed Wattpad, why the movie is better than the book, and what our own summer dance prom masquerades were like. If you ask nicely, maybe the barista will play this episode over the sound system at the sit-down Starbucks.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #79 – Dark Archer

“The Kissing Booth...

Kait and Renata were left unattended and their love tanks were running pretty low, so they turned to The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman. This one has been kicking around since 1992, and you know what? Some parts of it were not that bad. Unfortunately, there are also…other parts of it. Listen to this one on your way to your next softball game or funeral!

Readers advisory: Here.

Candy pairing: Kait says M&Ms, Renata says Skittles (with green apple flavor).

Footnotes: What’...

Nora Roberts Month continues with a gracious Southern-style housecall from Heidi and Emily, the cohosts of the Nora Roberts podcast Romancing the Shelf. For this podcast crossover event, we discussed Nora’s 1991 thriller Carnal Innocence. It’s the story of a serial killer in a small Southern town and aspects of it have not aged well. Listen now to find out how to sign up for a true crime LARP!

Content warning: This book and our discussion of it includes sexual assault, murder, child abuse, racism, and hate crimes.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footn...

We’re once again starting the year with a visit from our Nora Roberts expert, Christine. This time we read Brazen Virtue, a murder mystery-romance novel from 1988 that has been mystifyingly adapted into a 2022 Netflix original movie. This episode costs $1.99 per minute to listen to via long-distance phone call.

Content warning: This book and our discussion of it includes rape and murder.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: A Statement from Nora Roberts Re: Alyssa Milano

“Nora Roberts defends Alyssa Milano’s casting in adaptation of Brazen Virtue” by Maureen Lee Lenker

Another year has come and gone, and Kait and Renata are here to make lemonade out of the lemons of 2021. We each picked our top 6 books of the year and discussed some other highlights of the year.

Footnotes: The Boston Globe’s Best Books of 2021, featuring Renata’s picks for best middle grade and young adult novels

Taylor Swift

Legends of Tomorrow

Ted Lasso

The West Wing

Fast & Furious: Highway Heist Game

Wingspan

Coming up next: A January hiatus. Happy N...

Our beloved patrons voted on a book for us to read, and they chose The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton. We still love them, and we also love returning guest Carrie for reading this book even though she didn’t have to. Listen now before some terrorists delete the entire internet!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Unclear and Present Danger podcast

Coming up next: Bests of 2021.

* Worst Bestsellers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide...

All we want for Christmas is…another celebrity memoir, and Mariah Claus delivered. We read The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis and enjoyed our visit to Mariah’s realm. Listen to this episode on your way to visit your lambily!

Content warning: This book and our discussion of it contains non-graphic discussions of child neglect, domestic abuse, and racism.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Mariah Carey Explains Why She Tweeted That “Thanksgiving Is Cancelled” by Bianca Betancourt

“This Throwback Photo Of Mariah Carey & Will Smith Will Gi...

Hold on, Mariah, it’s still spooky season around here for a few more days. We read Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson and had a scary-good time getting to know the Mistress of the Dark (and her girlfriend)! Listen to this podcast while updating your list of enemies.

Content warning: This book and our discussion of it contains non-graphic discussions of child abuse, sexual assault, miscarriages, and old-fashioned light misogyny and racism.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Meet Teresa Wierson, Elvira’s Girlfriend of 19 Years” by Raffy Ermac

“Elvira: Tom Jones to...

After reading Go Ask Alice last year, we were still left with some lingering questions about issues facing teens. Like, drugs are bad, but what about doing occult rituals? Are they okay if you’re only using them to win high school debate tournaments? To find out, we read another book from Beatrice Sparks’ Anonymous Diaries series, Jay’s Journal. Join us for another spine-tingling episode with our beloved former editor Becca!

Content warning: This book and our discussion of it contains non-graphic discussions of death by suicide, animal abuse, drug use, sexual assault, and a lot...