Jess and Trisha do a news roundup and recommend some great books with trans characters and trans authors.
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A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
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News
Book club is back!! We’re reading Even if The Sky is Falling edited by Taj McCoy, for an episode we’re recording on March 13 and which will be live on March 17. Send us your thoughts!
Here’s a link to the New Yorker article by Katy Waldman about the romantasy lawsuit that we talked about.
And please consider taking part in this auction to support those impacted by the California wildfires.
Books Discussed
Alone with Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds
Yours, Forever by Leonor Soliz
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham
Even if The Sky is Falling edited by Taj McCoy
They Ain’t Proper by M.B. Guel
Hold Me by Courtney Milan
A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell
Divine Intervention by R.M. Virtues
Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao
Reverb by Anna Zabo
Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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1:04:35
Easter Bunny or Playboy Bunny?
Jess and Trisha discuss what might be coming in 2025, including book club, trends, and romances they can’t wait to read.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter!
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
News
Book club is back!! We’re reading Even if The Sky is Falling edited by Taj McCoy, probably in late February! Or early March!
And Jess was on Rebel Ever After with Ella Dawson. Check it out!
Books Discussed
One for the Team by Aria Daze
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell
I Think I’m In Love With an Alien by Ann Aguirre (6/17/25)
There’s Something About Mira by Sonali Dev (2/1/25)
I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Romcom by Kimberly Lemming (2/25/25)
Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews (5/20/25)
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes (1/21/25)
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (7/15/25)
Losing Sight by Tati Richardson (2/11/25)
Dream On Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake (5/13/25)
Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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54:08
2025: Still Astonished
Jess and Trisha talk about lists and roundups that closed out 2024, as well as their favorite backlist reads of the last year.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter!
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Books Discussed
Rifts and Refrains by Tiye and Keisha Mennefee
Just Playing House by Farah Heron
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
Demon’s Dream by Elle Kayson
Fly with Me by Andie Burke
Role Playing by Cathy Yardley
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
White Whiskey Bargain by Jodie Slaughter
Love in Color by Bolu Babalola
The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy
Amor, Actually by Adriana Herrara et al
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes (publishing 1/21/25)
Secret Spark by Kelly Farmer (publishing 1/7/25)
Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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1:07:20
(Still) Excited by the Shenanigans
We're on break for the holiday week, so we're rerunning an episode from earlier this year in which we reflect on the 2023 books we still want to get to and the books we were most excited about coming out in 2024.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Books Discussed
The Wildest Ride by Marcella Bell
Change of Plans by Dylan Newton
Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston
Outfield Assist by Cat Giraldo
Ruined by Sarah Vaughn, illustrated by Sarah Winifred Searle and Niki Smith
Technically Yours by Denise Williams
Fly With Me by Andie Burke
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins
Night for Day by Roselle Lim
Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb
The Spy and I by Tiana Smith
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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55:18
Discovering Each Other: Favorites of 2024
Jess and Trisha offer a few more gifting recommendations and then talk about some of their favorite new books of 2024.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter!
At Tailored Book Recommendations, we’ve recommended over 150,000 books to readers of every type. And we’ve got good news— TBR makes a novel gift for the book lover on your list! All your gift recipient has to do is fill out a survey about their reading likes and dislikes, and our expert bibliologists will use their bookish knowledge to round up three personalized recommendations for reads we think they’ll love. Whether they’re a mystery maven, a historical fiction fanatic, or a contemporary connoisseur, we’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift TBR! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started. You can even schedule the delivery of the welcome email, which means no more waiting on gifts to arrive last minute.
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News
Check out Book Riot's Best Books of 2024!
Books Discussed
Fast Track Fiance by Amanda Cinelli
Amor, Actually by Adriana Herrara et al
Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
Loving the Secret Billionaire by Adriana Anders
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
At First Smile by Melissa Whitney
Play it Again by Aidan Wayne
The Turning Point by Francis Ray
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch
Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgens
Tea for Two by C.M. Nascosta
Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger
The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton
Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon
Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao
Heat and Run by Adriana Herrera
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell
The Prospects by KT Hoffman
A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C Higgins
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Even if We’re Broken by A.M. Weald
Queen of Dreams by Kit Rocha
Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee
The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
Let us know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading! As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address ([email protected]). You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown), and Jess is even on TikTok (@jess_isreading).
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Ireland