The Book Jar Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Let the fighting begin! In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss, argue, and fight over who would win between fictional characters in fictional fights. From Dracula and Rhysand to Emma and Lizzie Bennet, this episode is throwing everything down and everyone with them! So, join us while we fight it out. 

As usual, the three readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also announce their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
• A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell
• The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas
• Emma by Jane Austen
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• Lirael by Garth Nix
• Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

Please note that we do mention some SPOILERS for the ACOTAR series.

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

Marissa discussed a Blog post for the Wheel of Time. Find it here. 

00:00 Cold Open
0:34 Intro
1:11 A Memory of Light
7:48 The Hemlock Queen
8:33 Ocean's Echo
10:40 The Hurricane Wars
17:51 Today's Topic: FIGHT
1:03:31 Outro & Socials

It's time to share our deepest reader secrets. In this episode, Marissa and Megan are joined by Alix Calfa from the Queens of Fantasy podcast, to discuss all those things we usually keep to ourselves. We're talking about our bookish confessions, from dust jacket behaviour to reading challenges and even cheating on reading goals. Get ready to see us in a different light!

As usual, the three readers start by reviewing their most recent reads and finish by discussing their upcoming reads. They also draw their next topic from the Book Jar.

Expect us to discuss:

• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
• Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
• Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
• Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
• Bloody Sweet by NaRae Lee
• My Roommate Is A Vampire by Jenna Levine
• Curse of Breath and Blood by K.W. Foster
• A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle
• Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
• The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to support us? Consider buying us a book (or a coffee)!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here. 

Do you use bookmarks? Marissa and Megan discuss the most remarkable bookmarks they've had over the years. From American one-dollar bills to a leather marker with a flower that seems one petal short, both readers talk about whether or not they use them, what will count as a bookmark, and whether dog-earring is ever an option.

We start the podcast with our most recent reads and end it by drawing our next topic from our book jar!

Expect us to discuss:

• A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
• Radiance by Grace Draven
• Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

00:00 Cold Open
0:31 Intro
2:18 Marissa's Most Recent Reads
2:22 Red Rising by Pierce Brown
6:06 Megan's Most Recent Reads
8:01 Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle
9:33 Radiance by Grace Draven
12:31 A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
15:10 Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
18:30 Today's Topic: Bookmarks
45:10 Next Topic
45:39 Upcoming Reads
47:41 Outro & Socials
48:43 After the Pod

Slumps suck. Reading slumps extra suck. Every avid reader has been through one reading slump or another and, while sometimes they are inevitable, there are some ways to get through them without losing your mind. Marissa and Megan discuss their experiences with their own reading slumps, and all the top tips they have to prevent them. From reading challenges and book clubs to DNF-ing and taking breaks, these two readers discuss everything related to reading slumps.

We start the podcast with our most-recent reads and end it by drawing our next topic from our book jar!

Expect us to discuss:

• His Viking Captive by C.A. Fray
• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Under the Oak Tree by Suji Kim
• When Fate Finds Us by Sanho, B, Bbab and Ddinut
• I've Become A True Villainess by Flowing HonEy
• Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
• Brimstone & Roses by Speremint
• The Mafia Nanny by Violet Matter, Art by sh00
• Down to Earth by Pookie Senpai
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown
• Riddle-Master by Patricia A. McKillip

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

00:00 Sneak Peek
0:46 Intro
2:34 Most Recent Reads
7:06 Today's Topic: Top Tips to Getting Out of A Reading Slump
7:37 What Is A Reading Slump?
9:13 Just Take the Break
11:08 Re-Read Old Faves
12:47 Choose Books With Lighter Content
14:43 Change Reading Formats
17:56 Mangas & Graphic Novels
19:46 Try A Different Genre or Sub-Genre
20:51 Try Reading One Page A Day
22:42 Check Out A Book Or Reading Challenge
23:03 Join A Book Club
25:15 Don't Be Afraid to DNF – or Save For Later
28:56 Get Reccs From Reader Friends
31:11 A Shame-Free Zone
37:53 Reset Your Reading Challenge
39:20 Next Topic!

40:33 Our Upcoming Reads
46:23 Outro & Socials
47:34 After the Pod

Everybody loves a good villain. From the most sinister non-human entities to the humans we start to empathize with, we've got all the best baddies from books we've read. We start with a classic President Snow and end with an even more classic villain who will suck your blood, and we hit every bad guy in between.

We start the podcast with our most-recent reads and end it by drawing our next topic from our book jar!

Expect us to discuss:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
• The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
• The Four Horseman by Laura Thalassa
• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
• City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
• Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation by Jen Gunter
• Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

00:00 Sneak Peek
0:26 Intro
1:52 Megan's Most Recent Reads
7:17 Marissa's Most Recent Reads
10:13 Today's Topic: Our Fave Fictional Villains
11:05 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
19:29 Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
21:03 The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
21:41 The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
24:08 The Four Horseman by Laura Thalassa
26:49 An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
28:52 City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
33:43 Dracula by Bram Stoker

42:23 Next Topic!
43:17 Outro & Socials
44:23 After the Pod

From the rawest insight into people's lives to illuminating spotlights on important issues, biographies and memoirs can leave a long-lasting impact. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss their favourite memoirs and autobiographies. Marissa discusses several dancer and a few artists' memoirs, while Megan talks about reading about therapy and dealing with trauma. We hope you enjoy hearing about our favourite autobiographies we've read so far.  

We end the podcast with our currently reading list, and then we draw our next topic from our book jar!

Expect us to discuss:

• Blood Memory by Martha Graham
• In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado
• José Limón: An Unfinished Memoir
• I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
• I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
• I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir by Baek Sehee
• Can I Say by Travis Barker

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

00:00 Sneak Peek
0:32 Intro
2:12 Megan's Most Recent Reads
2:52 Marissa's Most Recent Reads
6:48 Today's Topic: Fave Autobiographies & Memoirs
10:36 Blood Memory by Martha Graham
13:56 In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado
18:20 José Limón: An Unfinished Memoir
21:56 I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
27:52 I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
31:51 I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir by Baek Sehee
35:26 Can I Say by Travis Barker
42:58 Our Upcoming Reads
46:42 Outro & Socials
48:16 After the Pod

Welcome to Poetry 101. Marissa is a big poetry buff, and this week we're discussing all our best tips for getting into poetry. Throughout this podcast, Marissa and Megan share their experiences with poems and poetry – and give you all the reasons why you shouldn't be scared of them, no matter what your high school English teacher made you feel. From Marissa's top tips to reading poetry to Megan's personal experience with reading poetry and enjoying it, this is your starter guide to poetry. 

We end the podcast with our currently reading list, and then we draw our next topic from our book jar! 

Expect us to discuss:

• Meg Cabot Enchanted to Meet You
• Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
• All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman and Amanda Foody
• Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
• A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
• Talon by Julie Kagawa
•  And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer
• Spawn by Marie-Andrée Gill
• This Spells Love by Kate Robb
• Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa
• Shakespeare
• Emily Dickinson
• Lang Leav
• Sylvia Plath
• Homer
• Shel Silverstein
• Sappho
• Anne Carson
• Sawako Nakayasu
• & Others

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

00:00 Cold Open
0:40 Intro
1:51 Marissa's Most Recent Reads
7:16 Megan's Most Recent Reads
12:58 Today's Topic: Poetry 101
15:11 The Gist
21:45 Poetry Terms to Know
28:51 Four Categories of Poetry
35:54 Top Seven Tips for Reading Poetry
44:12 Megan's Poetry Insights
45:10 Notable Poets Worth Knowing
54:52 Next Topic!
55:37 Current & Upcoming Reads
57:52 Socials
59:24 After the Pod

Will we hurt each other's feelings? You'll have to listen to find out! In this episode of The Book Jar Pod, Megan and Marissa discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the books they've recommended to each other over the years. From some classic recommendations like Sabriel and Iron Widow to some newer ones like Emma and Throne of Glass, expect to hear all about the best – and perhaps the worst – recommendations exchanged between these two readers. 

We end the podcast with our currently reading list, and then we draw our next topic from our book jar! 

Expect us to discuss:

• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
• An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
• Bloody Sweet, Vol. 2 by Ernest Woo & NaRae Lee
• The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan
• Love Looks Pretty On You by Lang Leav
• The Daevabad Series (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper, and The Empire of Gold) by S.A. Chakraborty
• Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
• Emma by Jane Austen
• Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
• Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
• The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman 
• & Others

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

00:00 Cold Open
0:48 Intro
5:08 Megan's Most Recent Reads
13:25 Alix's Most Recent Reads
18:17 Today's Topic: Best Recommendations
19:10 Sabriel by Garth Nix
22:23 Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
25:19 The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
28:44 An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
32:19 Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
37:14 Love Looks Pretty on You by Lang Leav
43:00 Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
47:34 Emma by Jane Austen
51:17 Drawing Our Next Topic
52:13 What We're Currently Reading
56:15 Outro & Socials
57:32 After the Pod

Megan is back! And we have some book talk to catch up. Marissa and Megan go through their most recent reads – all 25 books they've read since they've last met. From Heartstopper and Fly By Night to The Fires of Heaven and The City of Brass, join your fave readers as they rate and discuss all the books they've read to start this year. 

We end the podcast with our currently reading, and then we draw our next topic from our book jar! 

Expect us to discuss:

• Cage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer
• The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greeley
• The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan
• Book of Night by Holly Black
• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
• Love Looks Pretty On You by Lang Leav
• The Wilderwood Series (For the Wolf & For the Throne) by Hannah Whitten
• Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
• A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson
• In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
• Bloody Sweet, Vol. 1 by Ernest Woo, NaRae Lee
• Fly By Night by Tara O'Connor
• Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken
• The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells
• The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
• The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu
• The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
• Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston
• Heartstopper, Vol. 1 & 2 by Alice Oseman
• The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman 
• & Others

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find our sister podcast, the Queens of Fantasy Podcast, on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa

Let's have some girl talk. And by girl talk, we're talking about our fave girlies in books. To top it off, Marissa is joined by both Alix Calfa and Taylor Andresen, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy. The three readers discuss an abundance of amazing female characters they've read in novels. From Sabriel and Katniss Everdeen to the leading characters in Throne of Glass and The Poppy War, the readers give credit where credit is due, recounting the best, strongest, and smartest fictional women they've read about. 

The podcast starts with Alix and Taylor recounting some of their most recent reads, and then the three readers dive into the topic. 

Expect us to discuss:

• Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
• The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
• Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman
• The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
• & Others

Expect Spoilers: 

• The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson 

Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our Instagram account with your question, and we'll add it to our book jar.

You can find Taylor on Instagram or StoryGraph. You can find Alix on Instagram or StoryGraph. And, you can find the Queens of Fantasy on Instagram as well.

Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!

Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you want!). You can do that right here.

Follow us on Storygraph!
Megan | Marissa