Life surrounded by cameras and at the mercy of brands and other residents of an isolated home isn't for the weak. And what if the normal "Love Island" style game was a little more sinister with more personal gain involved? 

The author of the viral "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries" series is back with a cozy cat shelter set in Montreal. It brings the same historic charm, with new bumbling characters set on the pursuit of magical knowledge. Will we keep reading Heather Fawcett's cozy fantasies?

SJM is back, baby! And we are coming alive again! Sarah J. Maas has three A Court of Thorns and Roses books ready to release and we are SO excited. It's the series that brought the three hosts together. We talk about the details we know and the theories floating around.

"The Jasad Heir" has a lot of classic fantasy tropes but takes place in a setting more akin to Egypt. It's a fresh setting and focused heavily on kingdom politics. Plus, it's a grumpy-grumpy main character mashup.

"Open Water" is a sort of lyrical narrative that talks about the Black experience. The poetry aspect can be a bit hard to get into, but the book is short. Does it make it worth the read?

Celebrity memoirs are a tough one to discuss. Should every celebrity have one? Should editors be kind because they're famous? Prince Harry's "Spare" gives the Busy Girls a lot to discuss.

The Busy Girls are joined by Lauren Puckett-Pope, staff culture writer at ELLE, to hear about how she chooses which books to cover for the magazine and her watchlist for 2024. 

• Books summary: https://www.busygirlspod.com/post/special-guest-elle-staff-culture-writer-lauren-puckett-pope-makes-her-book-recommendations-for-2024
• Lauren's bio: https://www.elle.com/author/223910/lauren-puckett/
• 2024 Fiction Watchlist: https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g46306627/best-fiction-books-2024/
• 2024 Romance Watchlist: https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g46344215/best-books-2024-romance/
• 2024 Nonfiction Watchlist: https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g46344230/best-books-2024-nonfiction/

Your resident SJM stans have a lot to process after the release of Crescent City 3: "House of Flame and Shadow." Do we still love her books? Yes. Was this her finest work? Listen and find out.

Katelyn's sister joins the Busy Girls to talk Throne of Glass' "Assassin's Blade" and where the short story compilation should fit into the series.

In one of the most polarizing episodes yet, the Busy Girls discuss TikTok sensation "Bunny" with the help of a special guest. This is new age horror, but does it deliver what it sells?

If you love a whimsical tale of adventure into the realm of fae but are tired of the same cookie cutter fantasy we've been getting, Heather Fawcett brings a breath of fresh air with "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries." Jane Austen lovers will enjoy this fantasy with a historical fiction tone and some dark academia thrown in.

The sequel to Rebecca Ross' "Divine Rivals" picks right back up in "Ruthless Vows." The end to the YA duology has been long awaited, but mostly by adult readers. Does the wartime romance strike the right note in the end?

The Busy Girls love a good enemies to lovers fantasy novel with a dark brooding MMC and a sassy FMC. Does "The Hurricane Wars" qualify? Or is it just some Star Wars fanfic?

Sophie Gilbert's "Girl on Girl" is a breakdown of 90's, 2000s and 2010s culture and how it has shaped how woman are viewed today. It analyzes different art forms and how they each play a role in limiting the power of women in 2025.

V.E. Schwab turns what you think will be a cautionary tale into one of personal growth and resilience in this tale about making a deal with the devil. "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" continues to be highly reviewed, so the Busy Girls finally give it a go.

It's Sarah J. Maas part...??? We lost track. If you're still with us, Queen of Shadows is a huge turning point in the Throne of Glass series. The books keep getting longer and the plots multiply, so there's a lot to discuss.

It's that time! We take a look back at the best, worst, most overhyped, prettiest, etc. books we've read all year. AND we choose a Busy Girls Book of the Year. Thank you for a great 2023 and we can't wait for 2024!

Every millennial was caught in the throes of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. Now, a prequel to the series has been turned into a movie. So, if you're the kind of person who needs to read the book before seeing the movie, is it worth picking up "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?" The Busy Girls do not agree on this one.

Brandon Sanderson has millions of fans, and it feels like nearly that many books. The Busy Girls dive into his Cosmere with cozy fairytale "Tress of the Emerald Sea." Does it live up to the hype from the fandom?

THIS WHOLE EPISODE IS SPOILERS.
Let's hear it for the TikTok girlies and their collective brain power. The Busy Girls are going to bring you BookTok like you've never seen it. Rebecca Yarros left us with too many questions at the end of Iron Flame, so time to figure it out.

TikToks:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8D1jNDL/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8D1XV1U/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8DFcvLx/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8D9v5Ta/

If you haven't read "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros, you probably live under a rock. Book two is here, and *oh boy* do the Busy Girls have a lot to discuss. Holy cliffhanger.

In the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, it's the third book that really gets things going. The world gets so much bigger in "Heir of Fire" and new characters are introduced. Is this the best one in the series?

So many trigger warnings. "A Little Life" is the Busy Girls' most anticipated episode - mostly because it's been nearly a year in the making. It's a beast of a book to tackle. So, is over 800 pages of complex trauma worth it?

Lauren J.A. Bear's debut novel is a doozy. "Medusa's Sisters" is a unique - and graphic - retelling of the Greek myth of gorgon Medusa, told from the perspective of her two sisters. Hold on tight for this one.

Two families are intertwined over decades and through several wars. Secrets lead to more secrets and fighting isn't just on the battlefield. This historical fiction is lengthy, but provides an interesting look at Middle America.

We are back to Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series with "Crown of Midnight," book two in the tale. It's pretty much a two-book set up to the rest of the series, so is it worth it to be stuck in the prologue so long?

It's the Spooky Season 2023 finale! The Busy Girls are joined by Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast host Avery Coffey to discuss themes of Black Horror in Victor LaValle's "Lone Women."
Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/unbound-rewound-horror-podcast/id1618711401
@urhorrorpodcast 

Jessica Knoll's "Bright Young Women" is a fictional story based on the Ted Bundy case. While his name is never used in the story, other true pieces of information from the case are. So is Knoll really reclaiming the story of the victims? The Busy Girls are split.

Trigger warnings x1,000. This book is about the meat industry - if the only edible meat were other people. While the thematic writing of this book is genius, it WILL leave you feeling sick to the stomach. So is it worth the read? Will you need therapy? This might be the best Busy Girls discussion to date.

Aiden Thomas lends a voice to the trans, queer, Latinx community in YA urban fantasy, "Cemetery Boys." The Busy Girls dive into the world of the brujx and talk about representation and whether YA correctly carries the message.

The Busy Girls have the latest from Rebecca Yarros, Jessica Knoll, Elena Armas and Rick Riordan in this Busy Girls Bonus.

Romance, comedy... death? What more could a girl want. To kick off a full October of spooky themed episodes, the Busy Girls tackle Ashley Poston's "The Dead Romantics." A ghostwriter can see ghosts and a handsome editor starts to cause her some trouble. What could go wrong?

Many people in a "Fourth Wing" reading slump have turned to Rebecca Ross' "Divine Rivals." This is a YA story, so there's less spice. But is it still worth it? Does it fill the void?

A book dedicated to BookTok? Nothing sounds more perfect for the Busy Girls Book Club. Melissa Blair's "A Broken Blade" plays to every fantasy girl's wishes while doing so much more. It somehow wraps up tricky topics like alcoholism, persecution of indigenous people and self-harm into a fantasy novel. Trigger warning implied - it's a complicated read.

Dark Academia meets Urban Fantasy on Yale's campus in Leigh Bardugo's "Ninth House." The Busy Girls enjoy the Grishaverse, but what about this totally separate series from Bardugo?

Nikita Gill writes the story of rarely talked about Greek goddess Hekate in this coming of age story. And you know the Busy Girls love a Greek retelling. But what about if it's in a poem format?

For a YA novel, Tracy Deonn's "Legendborn" has a lot of very mature topics. Trigger warnings: racism, rape, loss, etc. And the very brilliant main character deals with that all while becoming part of an Arthurian legend. The Busy Girls have high praise for this YA novel.

In this Busy Girls Bonus we talk latest fantasy news, publishers spoiling their own books and what book is coming soon to TV.

The Busy Girls Book Club has been around for one whole year! Thanks for listening and laughing with us as we take on social media's biggest books. Join the hosts for some fun games looking back on the year and the things we've read and said.

If you're around the age of 30, then "Happy Place" by Emily Henry might be a bit of a punch to the gut. The struggles of the characters hit a little close to home. But does the emotion of the book excuse leaning heavily on rom-com tropes?

Katharine's mom joins the Busy Girls for a discussion of Reese's Book Club pick "The Christie Affair" by Nina de Gramont. This book is historical fiction imagining what happened in the very real 10 days where author Agatha Christie disappeared with no explanation. It's told from her husband's mistress' perspective and tackles war, loss, PTSD and the dark side of Irish orphanages. It also includes a solid Christie-esque mystery.

BookTok is doing its best to fill the SJM void. Another attempt to help fantasy readers is "Trial of the Sun Queen" by Nisha J. Tuli. It's another trial-based fantasy book with sexy fae men. However, there are some very dark undertones with some topics that need a trigger warning.

In the ACOTAR void, many people are recommending turning to Sarah J. Maas' other series, "Throne of Glass." But it may be a really abrupt switch for people expecting more of the same who end up reading YA. So, the Busy Girls tackle the first book and the namesake of the series.

STEMinism and STEM romance was such a hit last time, so it had to make a comeback. This time with Ali Hazelwood's "Love on the Brain." The Busy Girls all agree they prefer it to "Love Hypothesis," but that comes with some caveats.

If you are on social media at all, even if it's not book social media, you've heard about "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros. This is the most viral book in years. So of course the Busy Girls had to read and review. You'll definitely want to jump on this one.

Space necromancers. Do we have your attention? Diving into Tamsyn Muir's "Gideon the Ninth" is confusing, but worth it? The adventures of Gideon and Harrow are crude and comical, yet written with sophisticated language. This is a weird one, but the Busy Girls are intrigued.

The follow-up to "The Will of the Many" is somehow even longer and sees three complex storylines weave together intricately into a world-building masterpiece. But is it worth the 700-page investment?

What causes a book written in 1992 to suddenly become a lingering BookTok sensation around 2022? "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt is quite the curiosity for that reason. This episode gets down to the answer, and provides a Busy Girl first.

The stakes are high and the food is good in "Six Crimson Cranes" by Elizabeth Lim. A princess is aided by a dragon to break a curse on her and her brothers, and while the adventure is somewhat predictable, it's incredibly wholesome. This YA fantasy read is a good discussion to listen in on, no matter your age.

Carissa Broadbent's second Crowns of Nyaxia book had a lot to live up to after the smashing success of the first. While still a good fantasy book, the hosts pick apart what could have been improved had the books not been a duology within a series.