Busy Girls Book Club
Episodes
63: A Little Depressed after "A Little Life"
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So many trigger warnings. "A Little Life" is the Busy Girls' most anticipated episode - mostly because it's been nearly a year in the making. It's a b...
62: Crimes of Gods and Men in "Medusa's Sisters"
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren J.A. Bear's debut novel is a doozy. "Medusa's Sisters" is a unique - and graphic - retelling of the Greek myth of gorgon Medusa, told from the ...
61: "Crown of Midnight" and The Trope That Must Not Be Named
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are back to Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series with "Crown of Midnight," book two in the tale. It's pretty much a two-book set up to the rest of...
60: "Lone Women" and a Guest Expert on Black Horror
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's the Spooky Season 2023 finale! The Busy Girls are joined by Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast host Avery Coffey to discuss themes of Black Hor...
59: "Bright Young Women" and the Power of a Name
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Knoll's "Bright Young Women" is a fictional story based on the Ted Bundy case. While his name is never used in the story, other true pieces of...
58: Hard to Digest Themes in "Tender is the Flesh"
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Trigger warnings x1,000. This book is about the meat industry - if the only edible meat were other people. While the thematic writing of this book is ...
57: The Colorful Culture of "Cemetery Boys"
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Aiden Thomas lends a voice to the trans, queer, Latinx community in YA urban fantasy, "Cemetery Boys." The Busy Girls dive into the world of the brujx...
Busy Girls Bonus: September 2023 Recap
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls have the latest from Rebecca Yarros, Jessica Knoll, Elena Armas and Rick Riordan in this Busy Girls Bonus.
56: "The Dead Romantics" Spooky Season Kickoff
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Romance, comedy... death? What more could a girl want. To kick off a full October of spooky themed episodes, the Busy Girls tackle Ashley Poston's "Th...
55: "Divine Rivals" Dominating YA Fantasy
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people in a "Fourth Wing" reading slump have turned to Rebecca Ross' "Divine Rivals." This is a YA story, so there's less spice. But is it still ...
54: "A Broken Blade" and BookTok Authors
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A book dedicated to BookTok? Nothing sounds more perfect for the Busy Girls Book Club. Melissa Blair's "A Broken Blade" plays to every fantasy girl's ...
53: A Haunting Tale of Secret Society in "Ninth House"
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dark Academia meets Urban Fantasy on Yale's campus in Leigh Bardugo's "Ninth House." The Busy Girls enjoy the Grishaverse, but what about this totally...
52: Dark History Meets Urban Fantasy in "Legendborn"
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For a YA novel, Tracy Deonn's "Legendborn" has a lot of very mature topics. Trigger warnings: racism, rape, loss, etc. And the very brilliant main cha...
Busy Girls Bonus: August 18, 2023
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this Busy Girls Bonus we talk latest fantasy news, publishers spoiling their own books and what book is coming soon to TV.
51: One Year of Busy Girls Book Club
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls Book Club has been around for one whole year! Thanks for listening and laughing with us as we take on social media's biggest books. Joi...
50: Hitting Close to Home with "Happy Place"
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're around the age of 30, then "Happy Place" by Emily Henry might be a bit of a punch to the gut. The struggles of the characters hit a little c...
49: Love, Loss and Mystery in "The Christie Affair"
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Katharine's mom joins the Busy Girls for a discussion of Reese's Book Club pick "The Christie Affair" by Nina de Gramont. This book is historical fict...
48: Tricky Topics in "Trial of the Sun Queen"
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BookTok is doing its best to fill the SJM void. Another attempt to help fantasy readers is "Trial of the Sun Queen" by Nisha J. Tuli. It's another tri...
47: Turning to "Throne of Glass"
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the ACOTAR void, many people are recommending turning to Sarah J. Maas' other series, "Throne of Glass." But it may be a really abrupt switch for p...
46: "Love on the Brain" and a Return to STEM Romance
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
STEMinism and STEM romance was such a hit last time, so it had to make a comeback. This time with Ali Hazelwood's "Love on the Brain." The Busy Girls ...
45: The "Fourth Wing" Phenomenon
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you are on social media at all, even if it's not book social media, you've heard about "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros. This is the most viral book...
44: Getting Weird with "Gideon the Ninth"
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Space necromancers. Do we have your attention? Diving into Tamsyn Muir's "Gideon the Ninth" is confusing, but worth it? The adventures of Gideon and H...
43: The Strange Success of "The Secret History"
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What causes a book written in 1992 to suddenly become a lingering BookTok sensation around 2022? "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt is quite the curi...
42: Big Bowl Energy in "Six Crimson Cranes"
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The stakes are high and the food is good in "Six Crimson Cranes" by Elizabeth Lim. A princess is aided by a dragon to break a curse on her and her bro...
41: The Trouble with Duologies in "The Ashes and the Star Cursed King"
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carissa Broadbent's second Crowns of Nyaxia book had a lot to live up to after the smashing success of the first. While still a good fantasy book, the...
40: Back to Crescent City with "House of Sky and Breath"
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you thought the Busy Girls were out of SJM books to review, you were wrong. The second book in the Crescent City series has one of the greatest cli...
39: Playing Through the World of "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow"
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does Shakespeare have to do with video games? Are some things truly unforgivable? Is it character development or a trauma dump? These are all thi...
38: "The Serpent and the Wings of Night" and the New Fantasy Craze
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Talk about a BookTok viral sensation... Carissa Broadbent's "The Serpent and the Wings of Night" has all of the fantasy girlies in a chokehold. If you...
37: "Carrie Soto is Back" and so is TJR
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls are back in the world of Taylor Jenkins Reid's "Famous Four" with "Carrie Soto is Back." Can you read a book all about tennis if you do...
36: Between Genres with "Babel"
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Babel" by R.F. Kuang has been incredibly popular on BookTok for several months now - so of course it was time to dive in. This book is LONG and writt...
35: Diving into Crescent City with "House of Earth and Blood"
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
She's baaaaack! Sarah J. Maas has more than one series, so you can bet the Busy Girls will keep reviewing her writing. If you liked ACOTAR, you'll wan...
34: How to Get Away With Murder in "My Sister, the Serial Killer"
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Would you help your sister hide a body? How about two? Now three? Oyinkan Braithwaite's "My Sister, the Serial Killer" explores just that. This book c...
33: The Indian Experience with "A House Is a Body" and Srishti Prabha
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"A House Is a Body" is a book of short stories by Shruti Swamy. While the Busy Girls did appreciate the beautiful writing, the stories didn't quite cl...
32: Lending Words to Forgotten Voices in "Circe"
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Madeline Miller's "Circe" is a modern retelling of several Greek myths from the perspective of a lesser character. It not only brings a new character ...
31: Back to Jane Austen with "Emma"
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls are abroad, and they love Jane Austen, so they prerecorded an episode on one of their favorites to hold the book lovers over while they...
30: Time Travel and Sci-Fi Lite in "Sea of Tranquility"
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emily St. John Mandel has written some extremely popular novels that are slowly being turned into TV shows. The Busy Girls tackle her "Sea of Tranquil...
29: Book Versus TV in "Shadow and Bone"
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season two of Netflix's "Shadow and Bone" is on the way, so the Busy Girls go back to the show's roots and check out the beginning of the Grishaverse ...
28: Physics Meets Dark Academia in "The Atlas Six"
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Olivie Blake takes character development to the max in "The Atlas Six." She also confuses with Busy Girls with some seriously high level science. Is t...
27: Getting Cozy with "Before the Coffee Gets Cold"
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls dive into some Japanese fiction with "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The trending magical realism novel sees a ho...
26: Advocating for Required Reading of "Know My Name"
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chanel Miller's memoir, "Know My Name," is a hard but hopeful read. She takes readers through the emotions of a sexual assault survivor attempting to ...
25: How to Prioritize "The Priory of the Orange Tree"
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's not often the Busy Girls tackle an 800+ page read, but they take on Samantha Shannon's thicc high fantasy novel, "The Priory of the Orange Tree."...
24: Boldly Being Yourself in "Lessons in Chemistry"
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bonnie Garmus' debut novel, "Lessons in Chemistry," is already making waves. It was Barnes and Noble's book of the year and is being adapted into a mo...
23: Discussing "I'm Glad My Mom Died" with the Bonnet Book Club
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cydne Robinson of the Bonnet Book Club joins the Busy Girls hosts to discuss "iCarly" child star Jennette McCurdy's memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died." Th...
22: A Foray into YA with "The Inheritance Games"
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A trendy book many adults have picked up is YA novel "The Inheritance Games" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It's a whimsical little mystery and the first in...
21: The ACOTAR Finale For Now with "A Court of Silver Flames"
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls tackle the current last book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. It makes a huge shift to a new character persp...
20: Generational Trauma in "Malibu Rising"
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Jenkins Reed's "Malibu Rising" explores one family pursuing and dealing with fame on the Malibu coast over the decades. While the Busy Girls ho...
19: Busy Girls Book Club Awards 2022
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls hosts look back on 2022 and what books made it an interesting year of reading.
18: The "A Court of Frost and Starlight" Christmas Special
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know the Busy Girls love Sarah J. Maas, so are we surprised they chose the holiday novella, "A Court of Frost and Starlight," for a holiday epi...
17: STEMinism and "The Love Hypothesis"
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Hazelwood makes every nerdy little girl's grown up dreams come true with "The Love Hypothesis." It's a cheesy rom-com based in the world of academ...
16: "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and a Special Guest
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls are joined by their number one fan... Casey's mom! Taylor Jenkins Reed takes historical fiction to a new level in "The Seven Husbands o...
15: An Emotional Fantasy Rollercoaster in "A Court of Wings and Ruin"
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shocker! More Sarah J. Maas from the Busy Girls. "A Court of Wings and Ruin" is the third book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and this one ...
14: Very Meh on "Verity"
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Busy Girls finally did it. They tackled Colleen Hoover. And boy, was the discussion about "Verity" chaotic. Where to begin?
13: The Butterfly Effect in "The Vanishing Half"
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you are raised in a way where you can't really find a place in society? In Brit Bennett's "The Vanishing Half," this plays out with ...
12: A Journey to Self-discovery with "Aristotle and Dante"
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is a short book with a long title. It's a feel-good coming of age ...
11: Furiously in Love with "A Court of Mist and Fury"
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
All of the Busy Girls fans already know Sarah J. Maas is queen of the hosts' personal libraries. "A Court of Mist and Fury" is a serious step forward ...
10: The Perplexing Puzzle that is "Local Woman Missing"
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Kubica's "Local Woman Missing" is the quintessential murder mystery with some serious plot twists at the end. The Busy Girls don't all agree on t...
9: Hollywood Horror and "The Final Girl Support Group"
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grady Hendrix's "The Final Girl Support Group" is perfect for fans of classic Hollywood slasher flicks... which the Busy Girls are not. Which makes fo...
8: The Doubly Mysterious "The Guest List"
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy Foley's "The Guest List" is a classic "who dunnit?" but with a twist - you also don't know who got murdered. The spooky Irish island holds many m...
7: We Were Sad After Reading "We Were Liars"
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart has the most epic plot twist, but saying much more would ruin the whole book.
6: Twisted Fairytales and "Mexican Gothic"
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes the Gothic Horror genre to a whole new level. Magical realism abounds when a trip to a spooky mansion b...
5: Marshes, Movies and Murders with "Where the Crawdads Sing"
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens became one of the trendiest reads of the last two years. The movie adaptation was released not long before this...
4: The "A Court of Thorns and Roses" International Obsession
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Court of Thorns and Roses has become a literary phenomenon with a rapidly growing fan base. This first book in the series by Sarah J. Maas is drasti...
3: "Pride and Prejudice" in the "Bridgerton" Era
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the rebirth of interest in the Regency era, thanks to Netflix and "Bridgerton," the Busy Girl Book Club hosts sit down to discuss a classic and i...
2: Camping Etiquette and "A History of Wild Places"
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"A History of Wild Places" by Shea Ernshaw was highly anticipated by BookTok and book lovers when it was released at the end of 2021. The Busy Girls B...
1: Mental Health and "The Midnight Library"
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of Busy Girls Book Club, the hosts tackle popular read "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig. What lies between life and death? How...