Explore every episode of the podcast Busy Girls Book Club

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?

When the trending book is pitched as a modern social media trad wife being transported back in time, it doesn't deliver as promised. "Yesteryear" is actually a sort of psychological thriller where the narrator is unreliable and unlikable. Anne Hathaway had us all fooled, but we kind of like it?

Jennette McCurdy's memoir took BookTok by storm, so fans were lining up for her fiction debut. While loosely based off of personal experience, it may be a tad too blunt and graphic for most readers to enjoy. (Major trigger warnings.)

The author of Dungeon Crawler Carl took a break from the series to release "Operation Bounce House". Is it more of the same thing? Or does it deserve its own merit in the sci-fi world?

Jane Austen and Bridgerton lovers rejoice: Emma M. Lion has come to bust you from your reading slump. At just over 100 pages, this delightful first installment of a series is too short to not finish.

The spooky chaos of "The Bewitching" doesn't fit into normal witchy stereotypes. With three different decades and three different leading females, is the unique twist worth the twisty timelines?

You've heard of the Newlywed Game, but we bring you the Newlyfriends Game! The Busy Girls are all together for the first time since the pod started. So we had to have some fun. Be sure to watch the video!

We don't often dive into the horror genre, but somehow when we do it's always on the open plains. A three-POV story through diary entries and across decades crosses cultures and bends genres. Ultimately, are the sins of our ancestors too much to ever overcome?

Sexism. Racism. Religious intolerance. Cultural theft and erasure. What doesn't this dark academia/fantasy story touch on? While the messages may be obvious, it's still a unique world and magic system that will take you for a wild ride in "Blood Over Bright Haven". 

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

The world of "Bunny" is back with a story from the bunnies' POV, and that of their first darling. And if none of that makes sense to you... same. It's a wild ride. And it's quite the switch up in opinions from the first book.

"Heated Rivalry" has taken the world by storm with its HBO series based on the book. The girls and the gays are all in love. So is it worth the hype? Is the book the same as the show?

Brandon Sanderson is one of the most popular living authors, and definitely rules king in the fantasy world. "Mistborn" is one of the older works in the Cosmere, but it holds steady in its popularity. Is it still worth the hype?

In our most diverse reading year yet, what books stood out? What books fell flat? And what book ruled them all?

We return to a world created by Rachel Gillig, and it once again did not disappoint. "The Knight and the Moth" tells another dark fairytale where girls drown and gargoyles make jokes. The unique magic system is worth a read for any level of fantasy enjoyer. 

Hamnet is a reimagining of the life of William Shakespeare's wife and children. It's an interesting historical fiction thought exercise, and its new movie adaption is drawing in new readers like crazy. Or maybe it's that Paul Mescal is playing the lead...
Video: https://youtu.be/GD60VApKgno

One of the best "hear me out..." books may be Matt Dinniman's "Dungeon Crawler Carl". It's a LitRPG that reads like a video game but is somehow still funny and fast-paced. But is the world built for every kind of reader?
Video: https://youtu.be/B1Bnp9sOlFs

The third book in the Red Rising trilogy, "Morning Star" is quite the explosive finish. And it might include some of the best character development we've seen in ages.
Video: https://youtu.be/AyivAKuDemE

You know how the song goes. Lyla Sage writes western romances, and TikTok girlies love a good themed romance. "Done and Dusted" will either make you want to move to Wyoming, or never go there at all.

Plenty of fan fictions have been traditionally published lately, but none took quite the rewrite "Alchemised" did. This one tops over 1,000 pages and had to be purged of its previous world. So is it worth the read? (Major trigger warnings)
Video: https://youtu.be/Br05Z1WiuI8

Another Ali Hazelwood. Another book Casey refuses to read. Somehow the weirdest one yet?
Video: https://youtu.be/ch5iys_dEjE

What is a "Good Woman"? What is power? Olivie Blake takes on these questions and more in "Girl Dinner". It includes some hard to digest themes. Pun intended. Bon appétit.
Video: https://youtu.be/QzWivjs4F0w

Miscommunication - but make it serial killers. Brynne Weaver is back with yet another serial killer romance. How does this still work? Somehow, it does. 
Video: https://youtu.be/6P-u9ehnYLo

Grady Hendrix makes a second pod appearance with "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" and a deeply researched look at homes for unwed mothers in the 60s/70s. There are indeed witches, but they are not the most horrific part of the story.
Video: https://youtu.be/lPy68qInb5o

The First Witch of Boston tells the story of Margaret Jones, an actual woman who was put to death for witchcraft in the 1600s. However, it puts its own spin on the woman's story. Did we predict a love story? Nope - but it is one.
Video: https://youtu.be/3O8AqsQ7sFE

Boo! We're here on a random day of the week with a surprise preview of what this year's spooky season has to offer. Did we startle you?

Hell is other people. Academia is hell. Those all sound like enticing reasons to read "Katabasis" by R. F. Kuang. And while they are prevalent themes, there's also Kuang's typical dive into logic and linguistics. So is it worth the ride?

Red Rising fans are torn on whether book one or book two - "Golden Son" - are the better story. The Busy Girls are in agreement, though. What was sort of like "Game of Thrones" is now an outer space adventure and no character is safe.
Video: https://youtu.be/yIzRCosoZLw

Tim Burton, if you're listening, we want you to produce this movie. TJ Klune's "The House in the Cerulean Sea" is an adventure in magical foster care and is packed full of life lessons and smiles. It's like a kids book written for adults. But will every adult like it?
Video: https://youtu.be/SLwKdWnyRxM

A plotless dystopian read with a nameless main character and no men. Do we have your attention? "I Who Have Never Known Men" is a fun thought exercise on humanity, womanhood, motherhood, solitude, etc. Well, for some people.
Video: https://youtu.be/QWDPuWH8MCE

You probably read "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. His new book is pretty much the opposite of that, but with a touch of the same voice he brings to all of his work. History nerds and empaths alike have things to read in "Everything is Tuberculosis".
Video: https://youtu.be/qna7ltplfeo

We're back! We are celebrating! We have games!
Video: https://youtu.be/v2fXSczxCpo

V.E. Schwab is back with another tale that crosses centuries and explores love and desire. This time, it also explores female rage. Toxic lesbian vampires? Yes! But also, over 500 pages. Is the prose enticing enough to keep our attention for hundreds of years?
Video: https://youtu.be/S5ihvxjcqDQ

Latest updates include:

• Project Hail Mary trailer
• People We Meet on Vacation trailer
• I'm Glad My Mom Died TV series
• Abby Jimenez Christmas surprise
• Ali Hazelwood dystopian romance
• Love Hypothesis movie and cast

Video: https://youtu.be/cj7Lr-nAAP0

Why do boys gatekeep some of the best sci-fi/fantasy? We certainly aren't afraid of big, wordy books. Pierce Brown's "Red Rising" has had a renewed interest thanks to TikTok - and we think largely to the BookTok girls.
Video: https://youtu.be/dnJHxWevQaE

We love a good Taylor Jenkins Reid story. The newest, "Atmosphere", has been creating a lot of buzz thanks to the anticipation of her fan base. A NASA woman astronaut love story? The hype writes itself. But did it live up to what everyone expected?
Video: https://youtu.be/UUcwYVGTzhY

"Silver Elite" has been causing quite the stir in the online book community. Who is Dani Francis?? Is this book AI?? Is it political propaganda?? Or is it just a good "adult dystopian" read?

Ann Patchett wrote an excellent summer read in "Tom Lake." It's set on a lake and a cherry farm in Michigan in the summer. But it has some very deep topics included - like time spent together during a pandemic. Is this the pandemic lit we've been looking for?
Video: https://youtu.be/l8sX7bl3K4k

Yes. We are serious. Today we are talking about "Twilight." Two of us read it as kids, but one of us is joining the craze a little late. So what merit do stories have when they become a seamless part of pop culture?
Video: https://youtu.be/Acm7O7xQEd8

Dr. Emily Rath became an overnight TikTok sensation for her political views and discourse with social media followers. She's known for her hockey romance, but recently published a fantasy steeped in Finnish myth. Are the author and the book worth the hype?
Video: https://youtu.be/Ht3nqyCIh40

There's no good way to describe "Big Swiss" succinctly. It's a bizarre adventure in trauma recovery with an unpredictable main character and a torrid affair. Is the absurdity of the story worth the time? 
Video: https://youtu.be/EziP_6l3bXM

The Busy Girls Book Club loves a good retelling/reimagining of a classic myth. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is based in a Chinese myth about the woman on the moon, but the novel gives it a big spin. It's an epic adventure tale, but very wholesome. But is it worth 500 pages?
Video: https://youtu.be/eC1BTHX5F30

We are diving into popular booktok author Abby Jimenez for the first time with "Say You'll Remember Me." It deals with love and loss and tough family and financial situations. But is it memorable?
Video: https://youtu.be/zgiD4vt9w-A

We have finally come to the end of our Sarah J. Mass journey. "Kingdom of Ash" finishes off the Throne of Glass series and is over 900 pages of pure epic fantasy. So how do we feel after the end?
Video: https://youtu.be/wwkJuBmzl_o

Yes, we're doing it. If you've seen the cover or read the disclaimer at the front, you know what we're getting into with Ali Hazelwood's "Deep End." And you know that Casey refuses to read any more from that author, so we invited her best friend Leighton to join us instead!
Video: https://youtu.be/5wMcrtSQYxo