The Worst Bestsellers

  Lock up your children and manuscripts: we read Verity by Colleen Hoover. We were joined by Renata’s cherished friend Jake to discuss this BookTok sensation. Listen to this episode while you sand the teeth marks out of your headboard. Announcement: Please join us on Friday, October 9th at 6:30pm for our special 300th episode live show! We’ll be discussing Twilight with Meredith Goldstein. It will be free to attend at Porter Square Books and also livestreamed for those who can’t make it in person. Content warning: This book and our discussion of it contains the death of children. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode 213 – It Ends With Us Overdue Episode 607 – Slammed Verity movie trailer “Steak ‘n Shake’s new chief MAHA officer: We’re going ‘back to the glory days of fast food’” by Sophie Brams Grammarphobia on Realtors Coming up next: Court by Tracy Wolff.

Flashback Summer is over, but we still ended up back in 1855…or did we? By popular request, we read Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. We were joined by S. Jae-Jones, author of the Guardians of Dawn series (including the latest in the series, Suhwa.) Listen to this episode while you churn your butter. (It’s an extra long ep so you might have time to make a fresh loaf of bread, too!) Content warning: This book and our discussion of it contains sexual assault. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Diabolical Lies podcast “Ballerina Farm is Happy With Her Choices” by Stephanie McNeal “Here’s what you don’t see about Ballerina Farm’s tradwife life – and it’s depressing af” by Laura Butler “Anne Hathaway makes first comment about Yesteryear adaptation after author addresses book’s backlash” by Shelby Stivale Fundie Fridays Episode #214 – Corinne Coming up next: Verity by Colleen Hoover.

  The Venn diagram between Flashback Summer and Sad Girl Summer is overlapping! We read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. For our discussion we were joined by a very cool sad girl, Theresa Okokon (@Ohh.Jeezzz), the author of Who I Always Was and cohost of Stories from the Stage. By the way, if you haven’t gotten around to reading this one before–it is actually good and we are actually spoiling the heck out of it. You’ve been warned. (And if you have read it: then you know you should have a box of tissues handy for this episode.) Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia Newbery Medal Acceptance speech “Katie Ledecky ‘breaks’ Olympic male gold medalist in practice” by Nick Zaccardi Coming up next: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Can you believe that in all our years of podcasting, we’ve never done the very first Baby-Sitters Club book? Well, now we’re flashing all the way back to 1986, when Kristy Thomas first got the gang together. We were joined by Jess & Rach of Book Trivia Podcast to discuss Kristy’s Great Idea (Baby-Sitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin. Listen to this episode on your next endless drive through Connecticut. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Book Trivia Podcast episode on Kristy’s Great Idea Episode 53 – The Baby-sitters Club Episode 152 – Mallory and the Trouble With Twins Episode 174 – Baby-sitters’ Summer Vacation! Episode 175 – Claudia and Mean Janine Episode 176 – Karen’s Plane Trip Episode 177 – Baby-Sitters Beware Episode 246 – Stacey and the Bad Girls Coming up next: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

Are you melting in the summer heat wave? Well, why don’t you join us for a Flashback Summer trip back to the winter of 1864? Bundle up in your best furs, because we read Changes for Kirsten by Janet Beeler Shaw. We were joined by Mary Mahoney (@MimiMahoney), co-author of Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl, former co-host of the Dolls of our Lives podcast, and current host of the Landline podcast. Whatever you do, do not let a baby raccoon into your house while listening to this episode. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode #76 – American Girl Childhood Nostalgia: A Collection of Pleasant Company and American Girl Catalogues Minnesota Historical Society MNopedia Coming up next: Kristy’s Great Idea (Baby-Sitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin.

  Flashback Summer is getting mildly spooky! We read The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe with Sara Farizan, author of several books of varying spookiness levels including the upcoming The Last Resort: Ghost Light. While listening to your episode, please keep an eye on your pets to make sure they don’t get into any chocolate! Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode #126 – Bunnicula Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine on Chocolate Toxicity James Howe on Wikipedia Mark Davis and James Howe wedding announcement Coming up next: Changes for Kirsten by Janet Beeler Shaw.

Flashback Summer continues as we journey 400 Turns into the past with Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. Paul from the That Aged Well podcast joined us to discuss the oft-requested Dragonriders of Pern series. Listen to this episode while you weave a beautiful tapestry of flamethrowers. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Mahna Mahna Coming up next: The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe.

  Flashback Summer is kicking off with a Code Green: LEPrecon alert! We read Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer with our returning guest Mackenzi Lee, author of of many books including Teela: Daughter of Eternos. If this book is Die Hard with fairies, then this episode is technically a Christmas special. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Artemis Fowl on Wikipedia Coming up next: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey.

  The whole internet has been talking about Adult Braces by Lindy West, so we decided to join the conversation. And who better to join us than Friend of the Show Margaret H. Willison (@MrsFridayNext)? You can find Margaret at Culture Study and you can find us in Key West, petting Ernest Hemingway’s polydactyl cats. Listen now to find out our legally binding ruling on whether or not Lindy West needs a divorce! Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Love Letters: Meredith & Margaret on Lindy West’s Adult Braces “Lindy West’s How-Not-To Guide to Polyamory” by Scaachi Koul AMA: Nonmonogamy Edition from Lindy West’s Substack The Lindy West Deep Dive from Ashley Ray’s Substack “Big Love” from Jennifer Weiner’s Substack Ijeoma Oluo on Threads Coming up next: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.

  May the 4th be with you! (If you’re listening to this on the day it comes out! If not: may the Force be with you.) In honor of this faux Star Wars holiday, we read Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry. We were joined by writer and Star Wars enthusiast Nanci Schwartz to discuss this story that’s more than a video game and less than a movie. Many Bothans died to bring you this episode. Readers advisory: Here. Footnotes: Episode 173 – The Courtship of Princess Leia The Birth of Cheesoid Gungans and Daddies: All That Jizz Coming up next: Adult Braces by Lindy West.