Five or Flop: the Best (and Worst) Historical Fiction Has to Offer
Episodes
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See: Fishing for Flops
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're returning to a classic pod author this week, as Grace's friend Kate Weis picks The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See! Will she keep up her...
Silence by Shusaku Endo: Flopostasy
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're putting the family in Family and Friends this week when Grace's brother Nick comes on to talk about Silence by Shusaku Endo! Which of th...
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: Epistolary Novels Are Not a Flop
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Returning guest Kat joins us to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, as well as to share a salacious story or two! But the biggest ...
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: The Gospel of Flop
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grace and Erin are alone in the studio this week, discussing a recommendation from Erin's friend Ryleigh: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver!F...
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell: The Four United Flops
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Data Scientist Ashley is here again, with a book she's been recommending since season one! We sat down to talk with her about it, and not even technic...
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: Flop in a Box
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing the family back to Friends and Family: Erin's mom, Pam, joins us with a book from her book club, The Frozen River! Are feminist themes,...
Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie: The Flop of a Ka-Priest
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While we travel back to ancient Egypt this week for a murder mystery, Kate C. joins us this week as our guest and Agatha Christie expert! Where does t...
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: The Third Amendment Is Not a Flop
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Previous guest Diana returns to discuss a book she's read before: The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave! We travel to France to discuss the famous...
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Houston, We Have a Flop
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the second episode (and first book) of season five, guest host Kelly joins us on a journey to space with Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere! All of ...
The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson: Badass Feminists, Badass Flops
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back, baby! Season five is here, and our theme is Family and Friends. We're reading historical fiction recommendations from our number 1 fans! I...
Reviewing The Handmaiden: Our Final Flop Film
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the last bonus episode before season five begins, we're watching The Handmaiden, the Korean adaptation of Fingersmith! Five or Flop is a podcast d...
Watching The Color Purple: No Flops Here!
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back to movies, watching the musical version of The Color Purple! Somehow, Whoopi Goldberg is still here?Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to ...
The Five or Flop Awards: Ranking Four Seasons of Prizewinners
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the seasons, Grace and Erin have read a lot of award-winning novels, from the Pulitzer, to the Booker, to the... British Fantasy Award? Now, it's...
Watching The Letter: The Flopverse of W. Somerset Maugham
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For our first bonus episode following Season Four, we're diving back into The Letter cinematic universe and watching the Bette Davis movie! Do we reco...
The Color Purple by Alice Walker: Season Four Has Finished Flopping
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the big season finale this week, and we're reading The Color Purple! We look back on the highs and lows of the season, but first we have a discus...
Jews Queers Germans by Martin Duberman: The Most Notorious Flop on the Pod
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're walking a thin genre line in today's episode - come with us as we explore Jews Queers Germans by Martin Duberman!Five or Flop is a podcast dedic...
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: Fine or Flop?
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're discussing our two favorite topics this week- pacing and plot twists- as we read Fingersmith by Sarah Waters!Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated...
Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia: Everything’s Flop Babe
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're excited to introduce a new subgenre to the pod this week with our first mystery novel! Find out the person, place, and weapon in this week's epi...
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng: Flopping on the Veranda
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're crossing decades and oceans this week, and juggling tons of real-life historical figures: we're reading The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng! Five...
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides: Flop Dog Stands
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're two-thirds of the way through Season 4, and this week is a big one: we're reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides! The book covers a lot of groun...
Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta: Flopping in a Feminist Modern Way
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cantoras, Part 2? Grace and Erin disagree over this week's book, Under the Udala Trees, but we're excited to return to an era we previously visited in...
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall: Premise Five, Practice Flop
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we tackle our romance pick for the season: A Lady for a Duke, a classic historical romance with an LGBTQ+ twist!Five or Flop is a podcast d...
Cantoras by Caro de Robertis: Erin's Flight Flops Again
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Erin's back from Ireland with another plane story, Grace's AC is on full blast, and we have a new book and a new era on deck: Cantoras by Caro de Robe...
Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel: How Do You Say Flop in French?
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's a special week, not only because we're reading Daughters of the Deer, but because we are joined by a special guest host: Jen! Will this episode b...
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue: Finally Free From Flops
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're off to Ireland (and so is Erin) this week, reading The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue! Hopefully, Erin doesn't catch the Spanish flu while s...
The Persian Boy by Mary Renault: Alexander the Flop
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Erin confronts an old enemy when we read Mary Renault's The Persian Boy, the second in her Alexander the Great trilogy.Five or Flop is a po...
The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar: An Unprecedented Number of Flops in NYC
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're headed to both Syria AND Little Syria with The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar! We hope you like birds, because there c...
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher: Camelflop
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back this week with another audiobook and another Grace and Erin disagreement: it's Arthurian legend time, and we're reading Gwen and Art Are No...
Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon: Floppy Bottom
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Five or Flop is back, and with the help of a special guest, we're kicking off Reading Rainbow with Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon! Are we more exci...
Somehow Five AND Flop: HBO's Dear America Film Adaptations
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the final bonus episode of Season 3, and it's a special one- we're watching two half-hour long short film adaptations of So Far From Home and Cle...
Flop for Making Us Cry: Watching Ashes in the Snow
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with a far less happy movie adaptation. We're watching Ashes in the Snow, the movie version of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys! Join...
Five Cast, Flop Soundtrack: The Catherine, Called Birdy Movie
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the most anticipated adaptation of season three: today we're watching Lena Dunham's film adaptation of Catherine, Called Birdy!Five or Flop is a ...
The Fives and Flops to Rule Them All: A Complete Podcast Ranking
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back from a brief hiatus with our first between-season bonus episode! In this episode, we're revisiting all of our past reads and choosing the f...
Royal Diaries Part Two: Final Grade is Flop
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It must be time for summer break, because it's the end of Back to School! We're wrapping up this week with Erin's Royal Diaries picks, reading about A...
Royal Diaries Part One: Princess of Flops
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first part of the two-part season finale is here, and it's our last series overview: the Royal Diaries! This week, it's Grace's picks, and we're r...
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis: Grace, Erin, and the Flopping Fives of the Podcast!!!!!
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back to Newbery winners this week with a classic of elementary school libraries everywhere- it's Bud, Not Buddy!Five or Flop is a podcast dedica...
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Fire Safety is Not a Flop
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're tackling one of Grace's favorite childhood books and one of both hosts' childhood historical obsessions: we're reading Uprising and l...
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner: Our Hosts' First Flop
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*We're still adjusting to our new mics, sorry for any loud portions!We messed up and accidentally selected a contemporary fiction, so come with us to ...
Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn: Tesla’s Flop Machine
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*We're adjusting to our new mics, sorry for any loud portions!Hop aboard the Titanic (for a shockingly short amount of time) to read Distant Waves by ...
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne: Becoming a Magic Flopbrarian
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a special guest joins us to discuss another titan of the children's historical fiction series genre: Magic Tree House! Five or Flop is a po...
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson: Too Many Flops in the Flop Cart
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're revisiting beloved pod author Laurie Halse Anderson and throwing it back to the 1700s (again). Grab your disinfectant an...
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: Winter in Flopberia
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're reading another debut: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys!Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fi...
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis: Cars Five, Carriages Flop
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are reading a recent release with The Davenports, a debut novel by Krystal Marquis! There are a few minutes of iffy audio quality at the ...
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: Code Name Flop
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're visiting World War II again and talking about Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein! Discussion includes planes, plot twists, and public...
Dear America Part Two: Across the Wide and Flopsome Prairie
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're finishing up our Dear America two-parter with I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly, Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie...
Dear America Part One: Get These Flops a Happy Ending
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're revisiting a childhood staple: Dear America! This one is a two-parter. For the first part, we're reading So Far From Hom...
Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan: Leaving Your Estate to the Flop Society
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we keep the yapping to a minimum so we can keep our ears open for roars! We're reading Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan.Fi...
Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman: The Feast Day of Saint Flop
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're reading Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman and (spoiler alert) making plans to watch the 2022 movie.Five or Flop is...
Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes: One if by Land, Two if by Flop
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're taking another trip back to the American Revolution and reading Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes!Five or Flop is a podcast...
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss: Newbery Medals and Newbery Flops
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're revisiting WWII and some childhood classics, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss. Two ...
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson: The British Are Flopping
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's new episode, we're headed all the way back to the American Revolution - our first time (but not last this season!) covering this era. Liste...
Josefina, An American Girl by Valerie Tripp: Flop-ecita the Goat
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season Three is here, and it's Back to School! In our first episode of the children's and YA season, we're tackling the American Girl books by reading...
Mini Series Review: Apple TV, You Will Pay for Your Flops
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's bonus episode, we finally sit down to watch Pachinko and Lessons in Chemistry on our enemy platform, Apple TV.Five or Flop is a podcast ded...
Water for Elephants: You Can Bring an Elephant to Water But You Can’t Make it Flop
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's bonus episode, we're conquering the Water for Elephants universe: book, movie, and musical!Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best ...
The Other Boleyn Girl Movie Review: A Cast of Fives in a Film of Flops
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's bonus episode, we watched The Other Boleyn Girl and were left with the question: am I the other Boleyn girl? Five or Flop is a podcast dedi...
Bridgerton Season Three Review: These Flops Can’t Compare to Kanthony
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's bonus episode, settle in for our (very unorganized) thoughts on Bridgerton Season 3, streaming now on Netflix!Five or Flop is a podcast ded...
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: Flopping at Five, Followed by Supper at Six
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's SEASON FINALE, we're discussing Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and recapping our season two reads!Five or Flop is a podcast dedicate...
Babel by R.F. Kuang: Flopping in Five Different Languages
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing Babel by R.F. Kuang, the importance of language and its relation to colonialism, and Grace's broken iPad. Five or...
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Steal Fives Not Flops
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. A timeless classic, a YA gem -- how else can we spoil our review and star rating?...
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: Can States Stop Flopping?
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. We also harp on some of the other books we've talked about because ...
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: Flop to the Top
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Remember how last week we talked about being too historically accurate...
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan: Flopping With One Hand
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan and the risk of being TOO historically accurate.Five or Flop is a p...
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich: Horse Flop???
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, repeat pod authors, and (unfortunately) horses. Five or Flop is a podcast d...
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: For You, A Thousand Flops Over
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.Five or Flop is a podcast dedicated to the best and worst historical fiction h...
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez: Flops in the Time of Fives
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. AND we're back with another special guest to provide a d...
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah: The Flop Bowl
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah of Booktok fame (and also well-deserved real world fame). Are we finally back on...
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Women are Fives, Men are Flops
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we're discussing Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and we get into some conflicts and controversies with this one!...
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn: The Secrets of Lady Whistleflop
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of the Bridgerton Season 3 premiere, this author invites you to a discussion of Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. Catch up on all t...
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: Not the Step-Dad but the Dad Who Didn't Flop
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, we discuss Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, the Japanese colonization of Korea, intergenerational trauma, and just how many side charac...
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: Topping or Flopping?
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we welcome special guest Ashley Bell onto the pod to discuss Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, queer lit, and the ultimate questio...
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: The Sea of Flops
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the Season Two premiere of the podcast, we're trekking to Europe to read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, start a series-long discours...
RWA and Little Free Libraries: Book World Flops
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, we discuss two pretty niche controversies within the book and library space. We've mentioned these both in previous epi...
Flop by Nature: Season One Character Birth Chart Analysis
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, we invite special guest and astrology expert Nohely to discuss the birth charts of some of our favorite (and least favo...
From Five to Flop: The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Movie
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, Grace and Erin review the movie version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and ask a very important question: why was Hu...
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton: The Flop in Our Stars
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
*DISCLAIMER: Apologies if the audio sounds a bit quieter here! We had some technical difficulties in production!*In the Season One finale of the podca...
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: The Curse of Flopmoore Manor
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to 1850s Mexico to discuss Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, an argument over People We Meet on Vac...
Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi: One Twin's a Five, One Twin's a Flop
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're going to Uganda to discuss Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and the questions "what even is history and what ...
Violeta by Isabel Allende: Pandemics, Bad Boyfriends, and Other Flops
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
*DISCLAIMER: Apologies for the fuzzy audio portion! We had some technical difficulties while recording and also had to cut some of the intro/author bi...
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlflop
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to Jaipur, India in the 1950s to discuss The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, a fabulous main character, and f...
The Spy by Paulo Coelho: Its Only Crime Was Being a Flop
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to Paris (and several other countries in Europe) to discuss the Spy by Paulo Coelho, the life of Mata Har...
The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper: X Marks the Flop
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
*DISCLAIMER: Apologies if the audio sounds a bit quieter here! We had some technical difficulties in production!*In this episode of the podcast, we're...
A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith: Erin’s Flop Florida Education
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to Erin's home state of Florida to talk about A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, the merits of tradit...
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: Not Even a Little Flop
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EDIT: In this episode, we discuss the nature of the title, Homegoing. We were unaware this is an established African-American cultural term. We promis...
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras: The Tree that Makes You Flop
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to 1990s Colombia to discuss Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras, the (almost) kidnapping...
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See: Finding Out Your Old Same is a Flop
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to 1800s China to discuss Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, the lost art of nu shu, and why Lil...
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell: To Flop or Not To Flop
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we're headed to 1500s England to discuss Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, sickly children of the Elizabethan era, and wheth...
Trailer: Five or Flop
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Five or Flop, a podcast for the best and worst historical fiction has to offer! Each week we'll be reading a new book and rating it on a sc...