Besties and the Books Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Well, sh*t. 😂 Some of you are going to be screaming at your screen / headphones, upset at us that Onyx Storm just wasn’t it for us. And that’s okay! That’s what we absolutely love about reading. There’s something for everyone. And if this 3⭐️ / 2🌶️ romantasy jumble is your thing… we will listen and not judge. Promise! We just hope you can do the same for us. 

Today is all about breaking down this plot line. That ending? The 10,000 unnecessary characters? Ashley and Liz cannot help it… we may have ranted for an hour about everything we found confusing, unnecessary, or problematic in Empyrean, book three, and we’re not ashamed! We know that some of you have to feel this same way about this extremely hyped series! So let’s dish.

We also make sure to give credit where credit is due and discuss how Fourth Wing brought us all together at the water cooler of the future for that collective experience. And even though we feel personally victimized by Onyx Storm (the preorder, the shadow “daddy” the plot…), we understand the importance of valuing Romantasy as a genre and taking books written by women seriously- since they’re saving publishing!! So to Rebecca Yarros: we may not agree with everything you’ve written, but we respect you as an author. Truly. 

And don’t worry, we’ve got an Empyrean smash or pass to wrap it all up and bring us back together! 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes, Friday!)

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! Ep 45 Callie Hart Quicksilver Tell All! | Author Interview
https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ

Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk!  https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM

Watch our Author Interview with Indie Dark Romance Author Ember Nicole here | https://youtu.be/tHV9rXSTBpY?si=OwxdMVfPmtFkcYu6

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@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!

https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 

Instagram | TikTok

@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley

Instagram | TikTok

@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is Wearing: Fourth Wing Dragon T Shirt “Fly or D!e” from @caffeineandcurses | https://caffeineandcurses.com

Liz is Wearing: “Read Responsibly” Crewneck by @darkanddisturbedshop | Use Code: VEGAN10 to save! | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/read-responsibly-crewneck?_pos=2&_sid=cd787180e&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Today is all about romance. We’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day over here at Besties & the Books Podcast and what exactly does that mean (you might be wondering)? Well, it means we’re going to be diving back into the Reddit realms to bring you romance book and V-Day themed Am I the A Hole questions!

Should you buy your ex-girlfriend red roses for Valentine’s Day if you’re in a new relationship? Are you the a-hole for expecting more than a personalized pen as a gift on this romantic holiday? What kind of boyfriend Venmo requests his girl for half of the V-Day dinner he asked her out to? What about locking up your romance books so your boyfriend doesn’t throw them away? Or reading romance even though your man has a problem with it?

We’re not saying we’re relationship experts. But Dear Abby, break up with all of them. Love, Liz & Ashley. Xoxo.

Oh and we’ve got a faves and fails bookish edition where we discuss our grievances with the Onyx Storm preorder and the ACOTAR ten year anniversary set… like truly, what happened there!? And a smash or pass with a tiny man and a popular Disney villain.

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes, Friday!)

Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Quicksilver Interview with Author Callie Hart | https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ

Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk!  | https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM

Indie Dark Romance Author Ember Nicole | https://youtu.be/tHV9rXSTBpY?si=OwxdMVfPmtFkcYu6

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!
Ashley is Wearing: “Will Ghost You For Books” tee by @shadowboundspines | https://shadowboundspines.com/products/i-will-ghost-you-for-books-tee?_pos=3&_sid=4f2eb7ebb&_ss=r

Liz is Wearing: “Reading is Sexy” hoodie and “Anxious Girls Club” beanie by @darkanddisturbedshop | Use Code: VEGAN10 to save! | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com/products/reading-is-sexy-hooded-sweatshirt?_pos=1&_sid=8e8a7e952&_ss=r

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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It’s truly the end of an era. Our Twilight virgin era. We read all the books for the very first time, and rewatched all the movies since our original jump scare years ago, and now we’re here. We’re Ashley and Liz, new Twilight fans and just girls, ready to talk to you all about our innermost thoughts in regards to this fandom. 

We rate the book series as a whole, and then we choose which movie was our most loved and most hated, and which book we liked least and most. We go through each movie and book and choose which is better. And then we discuss the fandom in its entirety. Did you all welcome us with open arms? Or were we shunned for our critiques? 

Overall, we are so happy we went on this journey and cannot wait for our next episode miniseries dropping early next year! Listen on to find out which popular book series (and new release!) we have our sights set on for 2025! 

Join our Virtual Book Club & Buddy Read on Fable! | https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday… and sometimes Friday! 

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: Ashley is wearing “Will Ghost You For Books” tee from @shadowboundspines | https://shadowboundspines.com/products/i-will-ghost-you-for-books-tee?_pos=14&_sid=9e47e4d40&_ss=r

Liz is wearing: “Empty Inside” tee from @darkanddisturbedshop | Use Code: VEGAN10 to save! | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com and “Freddy” Double Pom Beanie from @charlieandlunaco | https://www.charlieandlunaco.com

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Every Friday is “Bestie Card Friday” with Ashley and Liz over on the good old Instagram. We pick some cards, we answer an unhinged “would you rather” question, and you guys vote on what YOU would rather do. We’ve been doing that for almost eight months! And you guys wanted more.

So here we are, playing “would you rather” for an entire episode. Would we rather live in Velaris or Terrasen? Would we rather only read hockey romance or watch Harry Potter movies forever? Choose between Aragorn and Rhysand, physical books or Kindle? 

The choices! Stick around for a spoiler free episode of hard choices with a Disney themed fave and fail and a smash or pass… if you were a lion! … or a dark lord! 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes, Friday!)

Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk!  https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is  wearing:  “Support Your Local Book Dealer” tee from @ShopWildeshadows | https://www.wildeshadows.com

Liz is wearing: “Rivendell” Sweatshirt from @chaptercatchers |
https://go.magik.ly/ml/27abl/

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Here we are! Ashley and Liz discuss the epic book conclusion of the Twilight Saga. We seriously need to sort some things out with y’all. Like: why is imprinting a thing? It’s so disturbing. How is there a team Edward vs. team Jacob rivalry when CLEARLY Jacob is trash? And how do we feel about all of that buildup leading us to THAT particular ending? We’ve got unanswered questions.

Episode 4 covers book 4: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. The first five-ish minutes are spoiler free with our one sentence rapid star reviews. Then we jam pack this mini episode with an entire plot summary in five sentences, what our faves and fail characters and plot points are, our feelings, notable quotes, and end with a fun piece of Twilight Saga trivia featuring all the book spinoffs! 

We hope you’ve enjoyed following along with us on our maiden Twilight voyage! Check in next week for mini episode five where we rate the series overall, and chat about the movies. Because let’s be real… what in the actual heck happened there?! 

Join our Virtual Book Club & Buddy Read on Fable! | https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday… and sometimes Friday! 

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: Crescent City Zip Up Hoodie from @CaffeineandCurses | https://caffeineandcurses.com

Liz is wearing: “And So the Lion…” Twilight Crop Tee from @twiheartmerch | https://go.magik.ly/ml/2750r/ 

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Have you ever wondered what smutty Thanksgiving themed novella books are out there on Kindle Unlimited? Are you wondering what holiday themed kinkz this very specific genre may unlock for you? Well, wonder no more. Ashley and Liz did the research for you and now we’re presenting the evidence. It’s just science. 

We read Full Sack by Layla Fae and Three Times the Fun by Blythe Reid. We’ve got a little bit of Thanksgiving magic involving a turkey, a MMC named Racoon, and expanding… sacks. And a holiday reverse harem.

Were they cringy or actually pretty good? We’ll dish out the details after a fave and fail involving a sprained jaw and Will Ferrell and before a smash or pass involving our favorite pastry mascot and a villain determined to destroy the environment. 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes, Friday!)

Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing:  Embroidered Pumpkin Book Sweater from @BookBabeDesigns | https://bookbabedesigns.com

Liz is wearing: “Kejari” tee from @shopsecondbreakfast | https://secondbreakfast.shop

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Today Ashley and Liz are discussing the problematic and rage-inducing “love triangle?!” that is the bulk of the content in Eclipse. Find out why we think imprinting and kissing women against their will is wrong to do! And why we think Jacob and Charlie can go kick rocks.

Episode 3 covers book 3: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. The first five-ish minutes are spoiler free with our one sentence rapid star reviews. Then we jam pack this mini episode with an entire plot summary in five sentences, what our faves and fail characters and plot points are, our feelings, notable quotes, and end with a fun piece of Twilight Saga trivia.

We hope you’re enjoying our first time reading Twilight and will follow along with us for the rest of the series! We’ve got the epic book conclusion AND a movie episode coming soon… 

Join our Virtual Book Club & Buddy Read on Fable! | https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday… and sometimes Friday! 

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing: “No Rest for the Bookish” Sweater by @shopwildeshadows | https://www.wildeshadows.com/products/no-rest-for-the-bookish-crewneck

Liz is wearing: “Read or Die” Zip Hoodie by @darkanddisturbedshop | Use Code: VEGAN10 to save! | https://darkanddisturbedshop.com

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Ashley and Liz just got back from the When We Were Young fest and boy do we have some good faves and fails of the week, including Gerard Way’s sexy hair swoop heard ‘round the world. After we hash THAT out for all of our collective enjoyment, we get into our hot takes. 

We’ve got some from Reddit, we’ve got some from Threads… and we need to know. Do you agree or disagree? Should you count a book as “read” toward your goal if you DNFed it? Can something be overrated? Or is it just good? Do books need more than good twists to make them good? Was Fourth Wing actually BAD? We’ve got these and so many more. 

And don’t worry, we’ve got a smash or pass with a dragon with no teeth and a man with no head. 

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes, Friday!)

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms

@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing:  WWWY 2024 Souvenir Tee

Liz is wearing: “Rise Above the BS” tee from Spirit Halloween

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Welcome back to Ashley & Liz’s vibey, angsty, fall-girl mini episode bonus series all about our FIRST TIME reading Twilight.

Episode 2 covers book 2: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. The first five-ish minutes are spoiler free with our one sentence rapid star reviews. Then we jam pack this mini episode with an entire plot summary in five sentences, what our faves and fail characters and plot points are, our feelings, notable quotes, and end with a fun piece of Twilight Saga trivia.

Will Bella survive this trying time with Jacob’s help? Riding motorcycles, cliff diving, and collapsing in the woods… oh my! It truly is a excellently dramatic time and we can’t wait to discuss! 

Join our Virtual Book Club & Buddy Read on Fable! | https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday… and sometimes Friday! 

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley & Liz are both wearing Book Dragon tees gifted to us by the lovely author Alivia Maar @livsbookshelf | Check out her new fantasy book A Clash of Tides!
A CLASH OF TIDES (THE DOLAH CHRONICLES) | * https://amzn.to/4hvCirl 

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!

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Happy Halloween Book Besties! Today’s episode is all about one of our favorite holidays, and everything Liz and Ashley love about the spooky fall season! 

We decided to put together the perfect taster episode of all your favorite treats, but made it Halloween themed… and we did it in silly wigs. Just because we can! 

We answer a series of spooky questions like what our fave scary book, movie, Halloween treat, and costumes have been over the years so we can all get to know each other better. Then we do a fun series of reacting to Am I the A Hole Halloween themed Reddit threads, and end on an extended spooky rapid fire smash or pass session. 

We hope you enjoy it, and have a Haaaaappyyy Halloweeeeeen! 🐦‍⬛

Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes, Friday!)

YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast 

Besties and the Book Club on Fable!
https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358

Liz 
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife 

Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix

Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!

Ashley is wearing:  Dancing & Reading Skelly tee from @BookBabeDesigns | https://bookbabedesigns.com

Liz is wearing: “My Last Flying Fu*k” tee from @darkanddisturbedshop | Use Code: VEGAN10 to save! 

Any link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping support our podcast!