Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Side Part Podcast

This book was an absolute ride. Some of my theories were right. Some definitely were NOT...  In this episode, I share my reactions, theories, and unfiltered thoughts on chapters 25-end of The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4). This is Part 3 of a 3-part series and my final discussion of Book 4. ⚠️ **Spoiler Warning:** This episode contains spoilers for the first FOUR books in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.This is a first-read reaction, and I have NOT read ahead! Join me as I unpack the biggest reveals, revisit my theories, discuss my favorite moments, and attempt to make sense of the absolute chaos that was this book. If you enjoy Dungeon Crawler Carl reactions, theories, and spoiler-filled book discussions, you'll love this series!

In this episode, I share my reactions, theories, and unfiltered thoughts on Chapters 13–24 of The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4). This is Part 2 of a 3-part series. ⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This episode contains spoilers for the first 24 chapters of The Gate of the Feral Gods. ⚠️ This is a first-read reaction, and I have NOT read ahead! Come experience the chaos with me as I try to make sense of everything that's happening. If you enjoy Dungeon Crawler Carl reactions, LitRPG discussions, wild theories, and spoiler-filled deep dives, you'll love this series!

Join me and author A. M. Kay for a spoiler-free conversation about The Nyxteria. We talk about what makes this fantasy series stand out, why fantasy readers might want to give it a chance, and my personal experience with the story as one of its beta readers. If you’ve been curious about The Nyxteria, or you're trying to decide if it belongs on your TBR, this episode will give you a good sense of what the series is all about.

I’m slowing my pace through the Dungeon Crawler Carl series so I can bring you more in-depth DCC content! In this episode, I share my first reactions, theories, and unfiltered thoughts on The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4), covering Chapters 1–12. ⚠️ Spoiler warning: This episode contains spoilers for the first 12 chapters. This is a first-read reaction. I have NOT read ahead, so everything here is real-time thoughts, predictions, and reactions as the story unfolds. If you enjoy Dungeon Crawler Carl reactions, LitRPG book discussions, and spoiler-filled theories, you’ll love this series!

In this episode, I give you my final thoughts on Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman. All of my thoughts, theories, and reactions are based solely on this book. I have not read ahead. You’re reading along with me! Warning: this episode contains spoilers for books 1, 2, and 3. At the beginning of the episode, I also unpack why I think genre-bending books like this are having such a moment right now.

This week’s episode covers Chapters 1–18 of The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman. Rather than doing a full chapter-by-chapter breakdown, I focus on the moments, characters, and storylines that stood out to me most, along with a few things I’m still conflicted about as I continue through the book.

🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 for Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman. I was NOT ready for this book. In this episode, I talk through what I loved, the parts that completely broke my brain, and everything I’m still thinking about after finishing it. If you enjoy nerding out over millennial lore and unpacking the complexity of NPCs, I think you will especially love this one. I don’t cover everything in the book, but I definitely captured the vibes. New episodes every Tuesday. We’ll be in The Dungeon the entire month of May!

I start this episode with a side chat about motherhood, identity, and how I stepped away from a lot of the things I loved… and then found my way back to them again. That path led me straight to Dungeon Crawler Carl, a book that completely took over my brain. The first ~10 minutes are spoiler-free, where I explain what the book is and why I love it. **Spoilers start at 10:35** After that, we start crawling our way through the dungeon. I give you my honest thoughts, reactions, and theories. If you start now, you’ll have enough time to read Book 2 before I cover it in May 😉

Before we finish The Road of Bones, we’re talking about the mental load of motherhood. The constant thinking ahead. All the invisible stuff that keeps everything running. If this season feels heavy, I see you. What you are doing matters, even if no one says it out loud. Then we finish The Road of Bones by Demi Winters, chapters 46 through the end. No reading ahead. We are reading side by side and reacting together as the story wraps up.

In this episode, I talk about the nuance of romance tropes and how I organize them in my brain while I read. The way I categorize dynamics and character relationships really shapes how I connect to a story.

I also dive into Chapters 21 to 45 of The Road of Bones by Demi Winters and share my thoughts on Silla’s love interest.

I explain why Jonas does not feel like the right match for her, even if he seems like he should be, and why Rey stands out as the more compelling and intentional choice.

If you love talking through character chemistry and the deeper reasons behind who we root for, this episode is for you.

I’m back!

In this episode, I’m sharing my thoughts on The Road of Bones by Demi Winters, covering chapters 1–20. I talk through my early impressions, what’s standing out so far, and where I think the story might be going.

I also give a life update, chat a bit about what’s been happening in the bookish world, and briefly touch on postpartum now that I’ve reached the one-year mark.

Plus, a little update on the podcast and what I’m hoping to do moving forward.

In this episode, I share about the messy and magical parts of motherhood, what it’s been like to find myself again after having my third baby, and how I’m embracing a slower reading season without guilt. We’ll talk about trusting your parenting intuition, holding both joy and challenge at the same time, and making space for your own growth in the middle of motherhood.

I thought this episode would be about homeschooling, but really, it’s about learning to trust myself, make choices that feel right for my family, and show up honestly in motherhood.

I share what led us to consider homeschooling and how it's already given me clarity — but more than that, I talk about the friendships I’ve found through my online book club and how they reminded me: real connection begins when you start believing in yourself.

Spoiler Warning:
This episode contains mild spoilers for ACOTAR, Crescent City, and Throne of Glass. There will be major spoilers for A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen. Listen with care if you're not caught up!

Summary:
In this episode of Side Part, I’m reacting to the official ACOTAR 6 news—what we know so far, what it could mean for the series, and the big question: Do you need to read Crescent City before jumping in? If the Massverse reading order has you spiraling, I’ve got thoughts.

This week’s Musings of a Millennial Mom segment is all about imposter syndrome and mom guilt—two very real, very relatable parts of modern motherhood I’ve been sitting with lately.

To wrap up, I’m chatting about A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen, a Norse mythology-inspired fantasy and the latest pick from my Discord Book Club. We’re talking worldbuilding, vibes, and what came up during our group discussion.

In this episode, I’m catching you up on all the things—birth stories, postpartum, and the new vision for Side Part.

✨ Trigger Warning: I share details of my traumatic birth experience from 3:58 to 9:48, so please take care while listening. ✨

Whether you’re a fellow mom, a birth story junkie, or just here for honest conversation, I’ve got you. I also share some thoughts on Silver Elite and my relationship with reading—because let’s be real, I couldn’t go an entire episode without talking about books in some capacity.

Let’s do this.

Come join us as we chat about motherhood, books, and everything in-between. Spoiler Warning: There are mild spoilers for ACOTAR, Crescent City, Fourth Wing, and Quicksilver.

Join Erin and me as we chat about Quicksilver! If you haven't read this book yet, we share a brief non-spoiler review at the beginning of the episode. We hope you feel like you're sitting in a book club with your closest friends.

Join us as we unpack Two Twisted Crowns (Book 2 in The Shepherd King Duology)! We provide a brief non-spoiler review of the entire duology in the first five minutes. Then, we dive straight into spoilers for the remainder of the episode. If you haven't read this series yet, watch our episode on One Dark Window. It will help you decide if this series is right for you!

Join Alexandra and me as we process through motherhood, postpartum, and finding ourselves again. Oh, and we also talk about a few of our favorite books!

Join Bex and me as we chat about ACOTAR! (SPOILER ALERT: This discussion contains spoilers for the entire ACOTAR series!)

Join us as we unpack One Dark Window! This episode is split into two parts: Non-Spoiler Chat and Spoiler Chat. If you haven't read the book yet, watch the first part of the episode to help you decide if it's right for you. We give a clear warning before discussing any spoilers, so don't worry!

If you're looking for your next fantasy read, look no further. International bestselling author, Nisha J. Tuli, has written one of my favorite fantasy series: Artefacts of Ouranos. AND she is completing this series with its final book later this year: Tale of the Heart Queen. In this episode, Nisha and I dive into her writing process, recent works, and what's to come! Whether you're a fellow mom, an aspiring writer, or simply love a good story, you won't want to miss this episode. 

In this episode, Erin and I dive into her journey as a bookish shop on Instagram. We chat about everything from our love of fantasy to our love of bagels.

As two women in our thirties, we have fully embraced who we are and all it took to get to this point. We process through our respective experiences with anxiety, mental health, and the importance of undiluted belief in one’s self.

We also chat about Butcher and Blackbird, one of our recent reads. If you'd like to skip to the bookish chat, head over to minute 35:55.

In this episode, I chat with A.C. Hobbs about motherhood, postpartum, and her road to becoming a published author.

Her new novel, Scythe and Pen, is a fantasy thriller set in the Jazz Age. It has easily become one of my favorite reads this year. Getting to glimpse at her creative process and her ability to manage day-to-day life while still finding time to create art was inspirational.

Trigger Warning: There is discussion of birth trauma at the 34:00 minute mark.

Let's chat about Book 2 in the Kingdom of Lies Series: A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark.

In this episode, Bex and I dive deep into motherhood, postpartum, healing, mental health, bookstagram and our love for ACOTAR.

Full disclosure, there are minor ACOTAR and Crescent City spoilers.

In this episode, I discuss A Court This Cruel and Lovely by Stacia Stark. By providing my reactions and chaotic thoughts, I hope you're able to discern if this book is something you'd like to read.

Welcome to Side Part. In this episode, I discuss why I thought it was a good idea to create a podcast by covering my background and my vision for future episodes.