This episode of Bad Ass Bookclub Podcast is heavy on the insights, and even heavier on the banter. 

Katie starts us off with her favorite entries from UFO’s Who Knows? by Ryan S. Wood and Anthony Delorenzo. We’re sharing what the Dalai Lama has to say about the beings from beyond, time to press play!

Ashley’s feelings on finishing The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis are split into as many pieces as Bret’s personality. She gives a breakdown of the climactic ending and is having trouble letting go (much like Bret). 

Last up, the ladies share their thoughts on Chelsea Devantez’s I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going to Anyway). Spoiler alert, this messy memoir is delightfully divisive. 

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ or watch on YouTube! New merch is out too at babsmerch.printful.me Rep yo'self, don't wreck yo'self!

Continued Read: 

Shared Read- I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going To Anyway) by Chelsea Devantez

New Read:

Shared Read- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

In this episode of Bad Ass Bookclub Podcast, Katie and Ashley are continuing their mental health (semi- unserious) discussion as they consider unreliable narrators, unstable minds and multiple realities. 

Ashley is engulfed in Bret Easton Ellis’ immersive psychological thriller, The Shards. We address the idea of the unreliable narrator and mull over the presence of personality disorders in the main character (remember, we’re not doctors), and of course Ashley has some predictions, hopes and dreams for the highly anticipated big reveal as she comes closer to the final chapters. 

Katie breaks down the breakdown that is Ward D by Freida McFadden. In true Freida style, the twists kept twisting until the very last sentence. BIG surprises are revealed, keeping Ashley at the edge of her seat! 

We wrap up The Midnight Library in the perfect little package that it is, thanks to Matt Haig’s precious writing, and top it with a bow…AKA our hilarious game of Pass or Slide. Listen now to find out which saucy invention has Katie’s hypothetical, business woman life in a tizzy. 

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ and subscribe on YouTube! New merch is out too at babsmerch.printful.me Rep yo'self, don't wreck yo'self!

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — available 24/7.

Continued Reads: 

Ashley’s Read- The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis 

New Reads:

Katie’s Read- UFO’s: Who Knows? by Ryan S. Wood and Anthony Delorenzo

Shared Read- I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going To Anyway) by Chelsea Devantez

Corruption and exploitation? The power of resistance? The dehumanization of society? The media's influence? Or simply a quick dystopian adventure read where only the wittiest can survive? The year is 2025 and we aren't talking about now! Dive into The Running Man by Richard Bachman/ Stephen King with your hosts this week. Ashley also introduces us to another fascinating historical fiction (she just can't seem to help herself) The Antidote by Karen Russel and Katie recaps the ending to Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (le sigh, so good). Are you ready, you little book bad asses? Let's go.

In Episode 3 the Ashley solves the WHO DUNNIT in The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman! Katie journeys deeper into the world of Basgiath in FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros (p.320). FINALLY, the girls come together and find The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. You'll also get to know Ashley and Katie a little better this hour with a quick game of "Get to Know Your Co-Hosts." Next week's selections are also decided upon. So get out your books, grab your mugs and get ready to talk at BABs!

In this episode at BABs the girls begin the adventure into new popular books. Murder is afoot in the retirement community and Ashley tells us just how she feels about it! Readers read to Chapter 10 in The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Then Katie shares her experience diving into the Fourth Wing by Rebeccas Yarros. THIS BOOK IS HOT, HOT, HOT! (Warning: Explicit Language). She gets to Chapter 9 just before Sparring and the Gauntlet. The ladies come together towards the end and try to find The Last Bookshop by Evie Woods (up to Ch. 27). Will they succeed? Tune in to find out! Don't forget to join the conversation on Instagram @BadAssBookclubPodcast or listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4WTjhPtylgzx...

Welcome to the first episode of Bad Ass Bookclub Podcast! In today's episode you meet hosts Ashley and Katie who take you on a wild ride reviewing recent reads. Ashley shares her thriller, Strange Sally Diamond, before Katie jumps into a blast from the Jurassic past. Together they dive into Melania, the first lady of the US and then they reveal next week's surprising reads. What will they be? Join the club to find out! You know you want to, you little book bad ass, you.

In this episode of Bad Ass Bookclub Podcast we’re talking about mental health (in the most unplanned, unofficial, WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, sort of way). Ashley’s pick, The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis deals with a paranoid teen and deranged serial killer. Katie’s read, Ward D by Freida McFadden is centered around a medical student assigned to a hauntingly mysterious psychiatric facility. The current shared read, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, follows Nora Seed – as she takes her own life and finds herself in limbo with the chance to experience her alternate lives in dimensions where different choices were made. All in all, we get deep, but that doesn’t stop the laughs from barging in!

Ashley breaks down the many avenues of consuming The Shards and describes her experience being fully submerged in 1980’s Los Angeles, as Bret Easton Ellis’ writing captivates and immerses. She gives a brief synopsis of the first four chapters, and has some predictions. 

Katie talks about her first Freida McFadden experience, which she’s loving so far! She offers a detailed run down of the characters and describes the happenings of the book’s first half. Predictions make their way into the conversation, as always.  

Lastly, we discuss the first 100 pages (up to Peppermint Tea) of The Midnight Library. We spend some time pulling unread books from our own libraries as we reminisce about choices made, paths not traveled and personal experience with our own mental health crises. 

The information shared in this episode is for entertainment and informational purposes only. It should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not medical professionals, and any opinions expressed are our own. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your health. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on our podcast.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — available 24/7.

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ or watch on YouTube! New merch is out too at babsmerch.printful.me Rep yo'self, don't wreck yo'self!

Continued Reads: 

Ashley’s Read- The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis 

Katie’s Read- Ward D by Freida McFadden

Shared Read- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

It’s the end of an (Empyrean) era. In this episode we say “see you later” to our favorite, feisty, fantasy series – wrapping up Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. But first, we chat about the second half of The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester. 

We dive headfirst into a swamp of MAJOR spoilers, so readers, enter at your own risk. We circle back to last episode’s predictions, did we hit the nail on the head? No, we’re not Nic. Could Ashley pull off a crime coverup? Could Katie live with the secret? Listen to find out!

Next, we face the fact that Yarros has left us yearning (duh), we have finished the third book of her Empyrean Series. We laughed, we cried, we envied the bond between dragons and riders. We rehash chapters thirty-eight to sixty-six of Onyx Storm and offer our friendly suggestions for the future of The Continent and its riders. What a wild (dragon) ride it has been!

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ or watch on YouTube! New merch is out too at babsmerch.printful.me Rep yo'self, don't wreck yo'self!

Next Reads: 

Shared Read- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Ashley- The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis

Katie- Ward D by Frieda McFadden

Welcome to a milestone moment for Bad Ass Bookclub Podcast — Episode 10! In this historic DOUBLE SHARED READ episode, your hysterical hosts celebrate ten episodes of bookish banter by taking on The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester and continuing on the epic quest for answers in Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.

First up, we discuss the first half of The Missing Half (chapters 1-23). Together, we unravel the emotional complexities and disturbing secrets in The Missing Half, exploring fractured identities, buried memories, and the consequences of confronting the past. Be warned, Ashley and Katie speak on sensitive content including, but not limited to murder, kidnapping, pediphilia, and the role of law enforcement, vigilante justice and those left behind when a life is taken. We ponder suspects, motives and as always, make predictions. 

Next, we shift gears into high-octane action following our favorite Fire-Bringers in Onyx Storm, covering chapters twenty-four through thirty-seven (thanks to Ashley’s lack of self control). We highlight a couple of particularly BAD ASS scenes and share our thoughts on the Quest Squad’s encounters (so far). Is there a Quest Squad patch in your future? We shoot around a few predictions and lightly commiserate in the fact that we have nearly reached the end of the Empyrean line for the foreseeable future. Big, steamy, dragon sigh!

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ or watch on YouTube! New merch is out too at babsmerch.printful.me Rep yo'self, don't wreck yo'self!

Continued Reads: 

Shared Read- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 

Shared Read- The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester

In this episode of Bad Ass Bookclub Podcast no one is who they seem! Ashley starts off with a lengthy, but digestible, summary of the wild rollercoaster ride that is the final half of The Only One Left by Riley Sager (chapters 27-44). Keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times… or you may lose one! Next, Katie rehashes and reviews the final half of First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (chapters 16-26). Does the protagonist hold up to this reader’s expectations? Yes, and in the most satisfying way! The episode concludes with our discussion of the next section of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (chapters 13-23). We are in it and we’re savoring every sentence. We share our favorite moments and insightful predictions. We close the episode with a little twist of our own, our next individual read is one in the same. That makes for a double shared read, as we continue with Onyx Storm and both hosts pick up The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester. Scandalous!

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ or listen on Spotify!

Reads: 

Continued Shared Read- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 

NEW Shared Read- The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester

Buckle up book buddies, Episode 8 is here with sex (kinda), lies and typewriters. Katie kicks things off with a brand new game that’s part personality quiz, part chaos: What Would Ashley Do? Spoiler alert — the answer is probably something morally gray and wildly entertaining. It's the perfect introduction to the first 15 chapters of First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston, and guess what, the lies are winning. Then, Ashley serves up a recap of the first 26 chapters of The Only One Left by Riley Stager. The twisted mystery of who really killed the Hope family and Mary Milton — tells like a fever dream, leaving Ashley second-guessing everyone and trusting no one, is Kit in danger? And just how much? Ash offers some predictions, there’s much to unravel! Lastly, the team tackles the highly anticipated shared read, Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. The third release in the Empyrean Series is giving high-stakes drama, slow-burn tension, and just enough angst to make you want to throw your book. Classic Rebecca, never misses when it comes to emotional rollercoasters and scenarios you love to scream at. Whether it’s lying, fighting, scheming, or playing detective, all our main characters across these reads are doing whatever it takes for survival — and let’s just say, morals are optional and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram⁠ ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬⁠ or watch on YouTube!

Continued Reads: 

Shared- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 

Ashley- The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Katie- First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Strap in folks — this one’s a wild ride! In this episode, Ashley dives into Oscar Wilde’s gothic masterpiece, The Picture of Dorian Gray, where vanity meets tragedy in the most decadent way. Would you sell your soul to stay young and beautiful? (Duh.) Next, the gals burn through the fiery final portion of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Katie unpacks the twists, sacrifices, and BAD ASS moments that left us all gasping. And just when you think we're done, we blast off into NSFW territory with a spicy, no-holds-barred recap of I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming. It's weird. It's wild. It's very explicit — and we’re here for it (mostly).  

Cap off your drinks and clutch your pearls, we’re going there!

Explicit content starts at 50:30  in case you’d like to sit this one out.

*Don't forget to join us on Instagram ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬ or watch on YouTube!

Next Reads: 

Shared- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 

Ashley- The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Katie- First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Rest in piece Slick (insert crying here). We're pouring out some Kendall Jackson for you, homie! This week the girls shake things up and start off with the shared read. Why? Because there is TOO much to talk about! Also, it's Katie's birthday and she wanted to. Ashley brings the party with a quick, surprise game of "Would You Rather?" for The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Harris and then jumps into her last pod about The Antidote by Karen Russell. Are you ready to go back to Oz? I mean... Uz? Meanwhile, Katie is still lost in the world of dragons, deceit, and delectable sexiness as she recounts her recent adventures in Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Making it up to Part Two, there is plenty to talk about!Grab your books, you little bad asses! This party has already started!*Don't forget to join us on Instagram ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬ or listen in on Spotify!Next Reads: Shared- I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly LemmingsAshley- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildeKatie- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Ready to get dirrrrty? Ashley is still stuck in the Dust Bowl with 100 pages left of The Antidote by Karen Russell. Will she make it? Time will tell... and she will tell you ALL about it! Fortunately, Katie has continued the adventure with Rebecca Yarros reading IRON FLAME and is up to Chapter 13. Are Xaden and Violet still the wind beneath her wings? Maybe. Not to be left outdone, Grady Hendrix where are you at? That's right, in the South with some mischievous ladies up to no good... Or are they?

Dust off your covers and bring your books and we'll meet you at BAB's!

**Join the conversation on Instagram ‪@BadAssBookclubPodcast‬