The Great Obsession
Episodes
BLOOD OVER BRIGHT HAVEN | we're uncomfortable and we like it
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For our March book club we read Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang and had a fantastic time. This is one of the best books we've read all year. ...
PROJECT HAIL MARY MOVIE | amaze! amaze! amaze!
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's finally here! Today we're reviewing the Project Hail Mary film adaptation, one of our most anticipated movie releases of the year. And IT...
MID MARCH VIBE CHECK | we learn about credenzas
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
8:40: BooksThe Bodyguard by Katherine Center15:42 Movies:1975: Breakdown (Netflix)Reminders of him22:10 TV:Love is Blind (Netflix)Secret Lives of Mo...
TERRIBLE MEDIA WE LOVE | don't put disrespect on logan lerman's name!
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Time for a kiki about the terrible books, movies, TV and music that provide us emotional support in trying times. RiLee loves books with horrible prot...
MARCH VIBE CHECK | cant get no eggs hatched
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
03:42 BooksNOTHING04:16: Walking and Pokemon Struggles 10:57 Movies:Wuthering Heights (light spoilers) GoatSend HelpHamnetLittle Richard (HBO)33:49...
ISOLA | how much worse can it get? so much worse.
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our February Book Club episode! This month we read Isola by Allegra Goodman, a historical fiction novel based on the true story of Margueri...
MID-FEB VIBE CHECK | the brooms were too sweepy
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Canadian scandals, questionable adaptations, and a discovery of pop/rock foundations.05:34:68 BooksWuthering Heights13:54:03 Movies:Wuthering HeightsJ...
10 SONGS THAT DEFINED US | female artist supremacy!!!
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're each sharing 10 songs that made us who we are and defined our taste in other media. One song had teenage RiLee was doing devious behav...
FEB 2026 VIBE CHECK | we barely survived january
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
9:07:54 BooksNormal People by Sally Rooney21:44:41 Movies:People we meet on vacationOne Battle after AnotherThe Secret Mall Apartment The Alabama Sol...
READING 1-STAR REVIEWS OF BOOKS WE LOVE | do goodreads users deserve rights?
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For some reason we decided today we should rile ourselves up by reading haters' opinions of our favorite books. Fortunately a lot of them were funny, ...
MID-JAN 2026 VIBE CHECK | rilees never seen a meg ryan movie
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It is our first mid-month vibe check and 2026 is off to a strong start3:53:55 BooksThe Long Game by Rachel Reid Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil by...
2026 PREVIEW | the year of the book-to-screen adaptation
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're sharing our 2026 release radar for books, movies, TV and music! This is a SPOILER FREE episode. There is a lot we're looking forwa...
JANUARY VIBE CHECK | ilya rozanov call us
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to 2026!!!7:47 Heated Rivalry book/TV show24:52 BooksTill We Have Faces by CS LewisWuthering HeightsCareless People by Sarah Win Williams34:10...
BEST (AND WORST) OF 2025 | year of the flop
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's our favorite time of the year! This episode could also be titled "The Great Obsession Awards" because we have nominees, we have win...
WILD REVERENCE | why aren't we heralding?
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There were a lot of mixed feelings on this one. We read Rebecca Ross' latest release, Wild Reverence, the prequel to the Divine Rival series. Rati...
BOY OF THE YEAR 2025 | a hottie-off showdown extravaganza
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
16 boys. 1 winner. And like 5 flops. It's showdown time! We had so many good candidates for our "white boy of the year" that we expanded...
2025 READS | shockingly no duds
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is that time of year again! Here is our roundup episode of all the books we read on the pod in 2025.Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Onyx ...
DECEMBER VIBE CHECK | the secret lives of stranger things for good
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy December! RiLee did a lot of reading, Sam did a lot of movie-watching, and new releases like Wicked have given us much to discuss. Today's v...
MATE | for the team jacob girlies
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Delayed gratification, cults, and meaningful sex. For our November book club we read Mate by Ali Hazelwood and loved it! 0:00 Intro4:37: One Minute Re...
THE HOUSEMAID | a series of ridiculously convenient events
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We love to read a mega-hyped Booktok book with an upcoming movie adaptation, so naturally we HAD to pick up The Housemaid and see what Freida McFadden...
NOVEMBER VIBE CHECK | evan peters white boy of 2025???
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Preemptive apologies, we both are getting over some sickness so this episode is full of croaky voices and throat clearing...celebs, we are just like e...
ALCHEMY OF SECRETS | does her sister even exist?
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our October book club! We're so glad you voted for this one because it means the Stephanie Garber girls are still with us. Garber's...
THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 FILM | rough seas ahead
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Following our review of the book The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware we are back to discuss Netflix's movie adaptation and unfortunately, this was ...
OCTOBER VIBE CHECK | please free us from football season
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've lived many lives since September and we are finally here to report on them!(03:21) Reading ReportVicious by V.E. SchwabEmma by Jane Austen(1...
THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL | the resident Taylor scholar is in
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
She is finally here! Taylor Swift has birthed her 12th child and we are here to discuss it. In this episode we cover our first thoughts on the album, ...
THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 | reads like a reddit thread
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A hysterical woman no one believes??? What an unreal, never before read story! Jokes. All tropes aside, we had fun discussing The Woman in Cabin 10 by...
THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY S3 | are we out of the woods yet?
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jenny Han had us in a chokehold all the way through that finale. We're crying because it's over. Smiling because it happened. And also raising...
LEGENDS & LATTES | a spokane shoutout??
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are FULLY committing to the fall season and leaning into all our cozy impulses (even if it is 90 degrees in Texas). In the spirit of coziness and f...
GUESS THE BOOK BY THE FIRST LINE | lame revolutions, exploding demons, and who tf is Joost??
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's game showed us that some authors open their books with a bang, and others...well... go girl give us nothing. We had a great time either wa...
SEPTEMBER VIBE CHECK | a love letter to jaws
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
August was BUSY. 7:29:45 BooksYellowface by RF KuangThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaightCareless People by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsThe Love Hypothesis...
A WITCH'S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING | coming of age, but in your 30s?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our August book club! This was the perfect book to get us in a cozy fall mood as we transition to a new season. Whimsy, witches and found f...
LATE SUMMER CHECK IN | costco pls sponsor us
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You are showgirl! Im a showgirl! We are all showgirls!! In this episode we cover our latest thoughts on the Summer I Turned Pretty S3 (through ep 6) a...
MEDIA THAT MOVED US...ROMANTICALLY | to all the broken boys who yearn
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After last week's discussion of sexual awakenings and Speed Racer (2008), our most all-consuming fictional crushes are at the forefront of our min...
AUGUST VIBE CHECK | the girls yearn for speed racer (2008)
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This month we have another in-person recording (!!!) accompanied by a bottle of grocery store wine. Enjoy a wide range of topics...(03:32) READING REP...
PROJECT HAIL MARY | a marvel movie of a book (complimentary)
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We finally sat down and read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir(slightly too late to avoid movie trailer spoilers)! We discuss the importance of feeling t...
WE WERE LIARS SEASON 1 | gut punches and suffering
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After much emotional damage, we are here to review season one of We Were Liars on Amazon Prime. And girls, this was GOOD! We're talking characters...
GUESS THE BOOK BY THE REVIEW | plus lightning fun facts
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we play a little game of Guess the Book from the book review. Sometimes we get stumped and some reviews are truly unhinged. Play along an...
ATMOSPHERE | taylor jenkins reid has a way with words
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our belated June book club! Today we're reviewing Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a longtime favorite author of ours. We're talk...
JULY VIBE CHECK | kittens and edm
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise! After our impromptu two week break we are back! We have a lot of life updates to share on this one including RiLee's recap of her time a...
WE WERE LIARS | when a twist goes a little too hard
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To prepare for the TV series coming out, we read the 2014 Tumblr classic We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. For one of us this was a reread, while the othe...
JUNE VIBE CHECK | secret lives of mormon sinners (rilee)
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a chaos episode that we pregamed with a bottle of wine, so buckle up and get ready. Topics include: Books:Carrie Soto is BackInvisible WomenLe...
THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA | if studio ghibli was a book
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our May book club! Korean folklore, melodramatic teenagers, and the chance to change your fate are among the discussion topics for our revi...
SUMMER TBR AND RECS | we are actually begging you read fable
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
SUMMER IS HERE!!! To celebrate we've pulled together what might be our longest TBR list yet (we were VERY optimistic about our reading goals). In ...
GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE | it's like reverse evelyn hugo
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emily Henry's new book is here and it's got major mixed reviews, inspiring major mixed feelings in our review. Is it insta-love, or the greate...
MAY VIBE CHECK | from menopause to minecraft
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
April was filled with research and reddit spirals for us and it shows. This might be our most varied episode yet, from horror movies to non-fiction ab...
DEEP END | secondhand embarrassment, smut, & surprisingly good therapy
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe the real smut was the coming of age we experienced along the way. Welcome to our April book club! We're discussing Deep End by Ali Hazelwood...
HOT TAKES | stop calling yourself a Gryffindor
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finally, we get to do what we do best....hate. Get ready to sit down and fill your glass full of haterade becuase we are sharing our hottest takes, fr...
SUNRISE ON THE REAPING | we know too much!
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Greek tragedies, Gothic novels, fanfiction, and Edgar Allen Poe are all in the room with us today. Sunrise on the Reaping contains multitudes. We'...
VIBE CHECK CONT'D | recession pop and flop celebrity podcasts
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's music and pop culture kiki: recession pop is back, Justin Bieber is threatening new music, Call Her Daddy is going downhill, and Sam an...
APRIL VIBE CHECK | serial killer romance & party city
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The vibes in March were POPPING. We had plenty to discuss this month and if you're wondering what movies or tv are worth catching up on, we've got eve...
GOD OF THE WOODS | never trust a rich man
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is capitalism the great antagonist of society?? Maybe. In this episode we review Liz Moore's God of the Woods. Marketed as a thriller this book is...
READING SLUMP BUSTERS | for when you need to prove your brain still works
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you emerging from your winter bed rot, wondering if your brain is still capable of doing more than just doom scrolling? Are you worried you've...
THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW | the foreboding air of rural southern towns
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Adrienne Young has done it again with her immersive and atmospheric stories, this time in the oppressive summer heat of 1950s North Carolina. There's ...
MARCH VIBE CHECK | thoughtful reads & trash tv...the duality of man
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
February was a short month but somehow contained multitudes. RiLee is blindly watching Love is Blind and also blindly reading books she should have ve...
LEGENDBORN | the audacity of men (but never selwyn)
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dont mind us and our ugly crying, we are just discussing Tracy Deonn's Legendborn. This book is one of the best we've discussed on the pod and...
BAD MORMON | basically just spilling mormonism tea
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's wild card episode is about how Heather Gay's Bad Mormon exists in a context, and it's a context we know A LOT about. Our thoughts ...
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (2005) | the ultimate comfort film
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the root of today's discussion is this question: Is there a superior adaptation of Pride and Prejudice? We're focusing our conversation on ...
FEBRUARY VIBE CHECK | listen for sam's nic cage impression
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We survived January! The month that never seemed to end!! There's a lot of variety in what we consumed in January. From Real Housewives to movies ...
ONYX STORM | a love letter to ridoc gamlyn
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Empyrean! Every single character in this ENTIRE world is going to be mentioned in the first 20 pages. Hope you figure it out! By t...
2025 TBR AND WATCHLIST | where’s the new music?
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Suzanne Collins! Stranger Things! Unicorns! Here's everything that's on our radar for 2025. We've got a lot of new books we are looking forward to and...
JAN VIBE CHECK | go see sonic 3
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Its our first vibe check of 2025 and we were READING. This a spoiler free review of everything we consumed in December and what we are looking forward...
EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES | who actually journals this much?
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For our December Book Club we read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, which turned out not to be an encyclopaedia at all! (We ...
BEST OF 2024 | guess who drank the haterade
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....2024 is wrapping up so here is our annual Best Of spoiler free episode. From books to pop cult...
RANKING OUR 2024 READS | speak on it!
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This could also be called our 2024 Year In Review: Book Edition. We're tier ranking all 20 books we read for the podcast this year and reflecting on w...
THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE | is rilee a pastor?
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up is realizing you are actually an Edmund, not a Lucy. In this episode we discuss the movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis iconic The Lion, The Wit...
DECEMBER VIBE CHECK | holiday reads & holding space for defying gravity
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our November reading & watch report is in there somewhere... along the way we get into some C.S. Lewis vs. J.R.R. Tolkien discourse we have no bus...
A RIVER ENCHANTED | made in the a.m.
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For our 100TH EPISODE (!!!) we discuss Rebecca Ross' A River Enchanted and once again we are blown away by the nuance and depth Rebecca Ross weaves in...
SMASH OR PASS...AGAIN | i like the spikes
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we bring you another Smash or Pass, only this time we are joined by special guest Abby Tree and our options get progressively more unh...
TWILIGHT | revisiting the shockingly enduring adaptation
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cinematic. Campy. Absurd. Ahead of its time. We're revisiting a CLASSIC for this month's adaptation review, and if you're having deja vu, it's because...
NOVEMBER VIBE CHECK | is this what it feels like to do drugs?
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We recorded this pre election, so enjoy an escape into the blissful past... (02:50) October overview - a busy month! (07:55) Reading Report Cackle ...
NINTH HOUSE | 'tis i, the evil one!
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our October book club (SHHH we know it's November rn)! Leigh Bardugo's first venture into adult fantasy is quite jarring with its dark sett...
HEARTSTOPPER S3 | why are we like this? ft. Abby Tree
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our resident Heartstopper stan Abby Tree is back to talk with us about the newest season! We love that this show leans into the awkwardness of teenage...
A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER TV SERIES | Ravi can get it!
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BBC's adaptation of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder has given us more to talk about than expected! The calamity parties are actually entire raves, Max H...
FMK | Stiles you're always number one in my heart
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another in person episode!! We embrace our chaotic energy and play an unhinged game of Fuck, Marry, Kill. Topics range from beverages to fictional DIL...
OCTOBER VIBE CHECK | cozy fall reads, awful movies, & mormon wives
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wake up, September has ended! (03:52) Sam's reading report: The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore, The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (10:46) RiL...
UGLIES | the matrix for kids
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, turns out dystopian trilogies are so not back. In this episode we discuss the Uglies and the new Uglies Netflix movie. While RiLee experienced t...
A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER | stay out of the woods, people!
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our September book club! With the Netflix show coming out and spooky season coming up, Holly Jackson's YA thriller A Good Girl's Gu...
TAYLOR TUESDAY | rep rants and bad math
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the FINAL episode in our Taylor Tuesday series! As Taylor finishes the Europe leg of the tour (without announcing Rep TV i am so bitter!!) we ...
SEPTEMBER VIBE CHECK | pop girl summer ends & sad girl fall begins
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
IT'S FALL!! And the movie trailers are already giving us nightmares. Today's topics: (2:45) People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry (10:25) ...
FABLE | pirates and parental dynamics, oh my!
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our August book club is a gorgeous salty seafaring adventure: Fable by Adrienne Young! We begin with a spoiler-free conversation (00:00-10:34) about w...
IT ENDS WITH US MOVIE | best or worst outfits of all time??
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
*Content Warning* This episode contains discussions involving domestic abuse. We saw the It Ends With Us Movie had many mixed opinions and much to di...
TAYLOR TUESDAY | a folklore extravaganza!
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
IT'S AUGUST...what more do we need to say? Today we're revisiting our favorite Taylor Swift album, discussing our favorite songs, original rea...
AUGUST VIBE CHECK | boys, don't take your girl to see twisters!
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've got summer releases GALORE to review today! This month's topics: (04:58) RiLee's reading report - The Inheritance Games, Book Lovers...
FUNNY STORY | beach read but better
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This book has a lot...humor, emotional devastation, a man we love to hate! Where it under delivers on romance and passion it blows it out of the water...
IT ENDS WITH US | equal parts serious and unserious
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TW: This ep includes discussions regarding domestic violence, assault, and homelessness Our first book club book this month is It Ends with Us by Col...
TAYLOR TUESDAY | gracie, travis, and justice for debut
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As per usual, the Taylor Swift multiverse has been spinning out plenty of news and updates since our Taylor Swift episode last month. From a new featu...
JULY VIBE CHECK | all the reasons rilee is crying
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Time for a vibe check, aka our June recap and July release radar! This month's topics: (05:51) Inside Out 2 (19:16) Bike Riders, The Hit Man, Furi...
GRACELING | they ran for days? couldn't be me
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for our June book club review, and what a soothing balm of a book! We begin with spoiler-free discussion (00:00-19:19) on what sets Kris...
PERFECT MATCH S2 | has netflix cracked the code?
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ok so not our book club ep...but this series took us by STORM. In the first half of this episode we dive into why this show had us gagged from the fir...
BRIDGERTON S3 | she DOES have perfect boobs!
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bridgerton is BACK, and all our fav characters are going through it... except Benedict for some reason. Today we're discussing all the season 3 st...
TAYLOR TUESDAY | can we predict the unpredictable?
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In June's edition of Taylor Tuesday: Billie vs. Taylor possible feud, Taylor Swift is (not?) in Deadpool, her Edinburgh gloves were so cute, the U...
JUNE VIBE CHECK | the boys love glen powell
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here is our spoiler-free overview of everything we consumed in the month of May, as well as the things we are looking forward to in June! Find us at:...
THE FAMILIAR | spanish inquisition, but make it rAnDoM
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This book dares ask the question... can you survive the Spanish Inquisition thru ~the power of love~? Welcome to our May book club! We're reviewin...
PERSONAL BOOK LORE W/ BEAKMARKS | twilight fanfic & feminist awakenings
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our friend Erin (AKA bookstagrammer @Beakmarks) joins us to share the books that radicalized, sexually awakened, and deeply moved her so much they'...
TAYLOR TUESDAY | Eras Tour Paris, TTPD set
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Eras Tour is BACK baby, and there are some major changes. We breakdown all the changes, our thoughts on the new TTPD set, and what we think it all...
VIBE CHECK | ttpd updates, challengers + more
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's a new month, and we're starting a new series on this podcast! This is a spoiler-free rundown of everything we've been into lately. We...
BEACH READ | a surprising lack of beach
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We finally take the leap into romantic fiction and Emily Henry. Tune in to hear us discuss the reasons Sonya should be punched in the face, the questi...
TTPD & THE ANTHOLOGY | review + breakdown
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Come one, come all, it's happening again INDEED! Taylor Swift is back with a double album that's immediately a sacred text in this establishme...
MEDIA THAT SHAPED US | but in a bad way
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode started out as fun spoiler free ride and turned into RiLee and Sam confessing their childhood fears. Tune in to find out what movies we l...
THE PRISONER'S THRONE | oh we're scheming again!
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So...we said this book would be dual POV and it was not. Why did we make that up? Either way, we're in Oak's head now AND we're back in El...