We’re bringing the Olympics to the bookish world & it gets competitive! We each drafted our romance & fantasy teams by pulling book titles blindly then strategically decided which category they would perform best in. From one-bed bobsled to the slow burn endurance trial, every round proved a challenge. And stay tuned post-game as we chit chat about our highs, lows, & current reads!

(P.S. This episode is spoiler-free!)

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🤍 2026 Book Bingo Card: https://tr.ee/QO4azNLxDV

🤍 March Book Club: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

📖 Books Mentioned:

• We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
• The Will of the Many - James Islington
• November 9 - Colleen Hoover
• Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren
• A Part of Your World - Abby Jimenez
• Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
• Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi
• Time Will Tell - Hannah Bonam-Young
• Out on a Limb - Hannah Bonam-Young
• Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood
• Good Spirits - B.K. Borison
• A Fate of Wrath and Flame - K.A. Tucker
• Zodiac Academy - Susanne Valenti & Cartoline Peckham
• A Deadly Education - Naomi Novik
• Prison Healer - Lynette Noni
• Caraval - Stephanie Garber
• Divine Rivals - Rebecca Ross
• Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros
• Bride - Ali Hazelwood
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. Schwab
• Next of Kin - Hannah Bonam-Young
• Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson
• A Tongue So Sweet and Deadly - Sophia St. Germain
• Flawless - Elsie Silver
• Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

For Valentine’s this year, we’re reviewing The Improbable Meet Cute: Second Chances collection! 💘 Six romance authors took the prompt of ‘a second chance at love’ & wrote six short stories to binge for the holiday. We read each one & surprisingly have conflicting opinions on what these beloved & new-to-us authors had to offer. Tune in for some sibling rivalry & many laughs!

(P.S. This episode contains spoilers & explicit content!)

🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout

🤍 2026 Book Bingo Card: https://tr.ee/QO4azNLxDV

📖 Books Mentioned:

• ​Time Will Tell - Hannah Bonam-Young
• ​Accidentally Yours - Christina Lauren
• ​Second Act Romance - Julie Soto
• ​A Play For Love - Trilina Pucci
• ​Death To Valentine’s Day - Catherine Cowles
• ​Valentine’s Slay - Navessa Allen
• ​Big Fan - Alexandra Romanoff
• ​Next of Kin - Hannah Bonam-Young
• ​The Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren
• ​All The Missing Pieces - Catherine Cowles
• ​Lights Out - Navessa Allen
• ​Butcher & Blackbird - Brynne Weaver
• ​The Housemaid - Freida McFadden
• ​Falling - Christina Lauren

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 intro

03:30 general thoughts on short stories

05:45 the comets are fake 💀

09:20 time will tell ratings & review

15:30 accidentally yours ratings & review

21:40 second act romance ratings & review

26:20 hannah’s an actress

28:00 a play for love ratings & review

34:25 death to valentine’s ratings & review

46:20 valentine’s slay ratings & review

57:00 final thoughts!

Emily Henry is a staple author of ours so we must discuss People We Meet On Vacation with y’all!🌴 Diving deep into both the book & movie, we debrief the writing, characters, favorite scenes, & disappointments. This episode had us laughing hard & shaking our heads, so tune in for the chaos! (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!)

🤍 All CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout

🤍 2026 Book Bingo Card: https://tr.ee/QO4azNLxDV

🤍 February Book Club: The Improbable Meet Cute: Second Chances

📖 Books Mentioned:

• ​People We Meet On Vacation - Emily Henry
• ​Beach Read - Emily Henry
• ​Funny Story - Emily Henry
• ​Book Lovers - Emily Henry
• ​Happy Place - Emily Henry
• ​Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry
• On Wings of Blood - Briar Boleyn
• Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
• The Raven Scholar - Antonio Hodgson
• In Your Dreams - Sarah Adams

⏱​️ Timestamps:

00:00:00 intro

00:01:15 star rating refresher

00:07:20 our ratings of the book

00:08:45 our ratings of the movie

00:09:20 writing style

00:17:00 that first ch was something special

00:19:00 thoughts on poppy & alex

00:24:45 men & women can never be friends

00:27:25 fav and least fav plot points

00:34:50 was the movie better than the book?

00:37:00 differences between bok & movie

00:41:30 giggle break

00:41:40 the past scenes were the best part

00:46:00 the ending & emotionally unavailable women

00:48:20 ranking emily henry's books

00:51:00 yap time! (reading journal & current reads)

We’re sharing the fantasy & romance book releases we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2026, along with our personal reading goals for the year ahead! If you're planning your TBR for the new year like us, this episode is packed with plenty of recs for you to kick off 2026!

🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout

🤍 Book Bingo Card: https://tr.ee/sH5fQ6VTZT📖

🧡 January Book Club: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (releases on 1/27/26)

📖 Books Mentioned:

• ​In Your Dreams - Sarah Adams [Dec 30, 2025]
• ​What Next - M. J. Hughes [Feb 21]
• ​And Now, Back To You - B.K. Borison [Feb 24]
• ​In Her Own League - Liz Tomforde [March 3]
• ​The Night We Met - Abby Jimenez [March 31]
• ​Rites of the Starling - Denver Perry [April 7]
• ​Our Perfect Storm - Carley Fortune [May 5]
• ​Light Wielder - Rachel Schneider [June 9]
• ​A Darker Shore: Letters from Ketterdam - Leigh Bardugo [June 30]
• ​The Secret World of Briar Rose - Cindy Pham [June 2]
• ​The Romance Revival - Christina Lauren [July 14]
• ​Burn of the Everflame - Pen Cole [tbd]
• ​Adversary to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer [Aug 4]
• ​People Pleasing - Hannah Bonam-Young [Sept 10]
• ​Grim Tidings - B.K. Borison [Sept 15]
• ​The Fires of December - Brandon Sanderson [Dec]* Tempest - Victoria Aveyard [tbd]
• ​Red God - Pierce Brown [tbd]
• ​Horneater - Brandon Sanderson [tbd]

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 - our 2026 fantasy & romance tbr

00:50 - it's our 1 yr bday!

03:35 - meet hannah

05:25 - january book releases

06:00 - february book releases

09:25 - march book releases

13:40 - april book releases

14:45 - may book releases

17:30 - june book releases

23:40 - july book releases

29:00 - september book releases

33:35 - december book releases

35:50 - TBD release dates

40:30 - our 2026 reading goals

48:20 - 2026 book bingo!

50:00 - CTB book club

Our annual, spoiler-free Reading Wrap Up is here! We each share 3 favorites and 3 flops of fantasy and romance books that we read this year, along with our DNFs & reading stats!

🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠

📖 Books Mentioned:

• ​Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros
• ​The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig
• ​Scythe and Sparrow - Brynne Weaver
• ​Tourist Season - Brynne Weaver
• ​Off To The Races - Elsie Silver
• ​Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
• ​The Blood Traitor - Lynnette Noni
• ​The Will of the Many - James Islington
• ​Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang
• ​Morning Star - Pierce Brown
• ​Good Spirits - B.K. Borison
• ​Eldritch - Keri Lake
• ​Anathema - Keri Lake
• ​Nocticadia - Keri Lake
• ​Never Keep - Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
• ​Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
• ​The Emperor Sol - Brandon Sanderson
• ​Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez
• ​The Strength of the Few - James Islington

⏱️ Timestamps:

02:52 Onyx Storm

06:06 Knight & the Moth

08:02 Scythe and Sparrow

09:35 Tourist Season

11:12 Off to the Races

13:58 Top 3 Books of the Year

14:07 Six of Crows

14:39 The Blood Traitor

16:14 The Will of the Many

18:16 Blood Over Bright Haven

19:16 Morning Star

20:41 Good Spirits

21:59 Top 3 Kiss Marry Kill

25:13 # of DNFs

29:05 2025 Reading Stats

36:00 # of Audiobooks

37:25 Average Ratings

40:17 Book Journaling

The Strength of the Few was a chaotic & suspenseful sequel & we discuss it all in this review! 🏛️ We dive deep into the layered world building, complex character development, political tension, & that unforgettable ending. We ponder theories & what’s to come, so tune in to hear our honest thoughts! (P.S. this review contains spoilers!)

🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout

📖 Books Mentioned:

• The Strength of the Few - James Islington
• The Will of the Many - James Islington

The Strength of the Few Synopsis:

"OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can."

Timestamps:

00:00:00 the strength of the few review!

00:01:50 our ratings & initial thoughts

00:05:00 split POVs, time skips & confusion

00:19:00 obiteum plot walk & giggles

00:27:00 hannah's fav obiteum scene

00:30:00 mad's fav obiteum scene

00:33:00 thoughts on ka

00:37:00 crazy theories - caeror, ostius & will

00:50:00 luceum plot walk & sweet little deaglan

00:54:30 vis's dad makes us cry

00:58:00 hannah's fav luceum scene

01:00:00 mad's fav luceum scenes

01:05:00 res plot walk

01:08:05 the most shocking death

01:14:00 ostius analysis

01:17:00 hannah's alupi theory

01:20:50 mad's fav res scene

01:22:10 the truth of the concurrence

01:35:00 final thoughts

Romance author M. J. Hughes is joining us on the pod to talk all things writing & publishing of her spicy, college, hockey romance standalone series, A River Road Series! 🏒 From behind-the-scenes writing stories to navigating indie-publishing, this episode is packed with honesty, inspiration, & all the bookish chaos we love.

M. J. shares how she went from passionate reader to self-published author & the reality of balancing work full-time with writing & content creation. Also expect the full scoop on her hockey romance world of Barker University & future stories & audiobooks releasing soon!

Whether you’re a hockey-romance lover like us or just curious about what it takes to be indie-published, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss!

🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠⁠

🤍 M. J Hughes' Links: https://linktr.ee/mjhughesauthor

• https://authormjhughes.etsy.com?coupon=CHECKTHISBOOKOUT Use code CHECKTHISBOOKOUT for $5 off!

📖 Books Mentioned:

• What If - M. J. Hughes
• What Now - M. J. Hughes
• What Next - M. J. Hughes

#booktube #romancebooks #romancereader #bookrecommendations #bookreview

The weather is getting colder, the books are getting cozier, & this paranormal romance by B.K. Borison suits the season perfectly ❄️ In our review of Good Spirits, we cry (literally), laugh, & gush over everything that made this book so special to us. The characters, magic, & emotional depth tucked into the quaint city of Annapolis left us dreamy & eager for more B.K. Borison paranormal romances in the future! (P.S. this episode contains spoilers!)

🤍 CTB Links!: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠⁠

🖋️ Good Spirits Synopsis:

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

📖 Books Mentioned:

• Good Spirits - B.K. Borison
• First Time Caller - B.K. Borison
• Lovelight Farms - B.K. Borison
• Grim Tidings - B.K. Borison
• Holidaze - Christina Lauren
• Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez
• The Will of the Many - James Islington
• The Strength of the Few - James Islington
• Prison Healer - Lynette Noni
• Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry

⏱ Time Stamps:

00:00:00 good spirits by b.k. borison!

00:01:10 christmas disclaimer

00:2:20 out of hannah's comfort zone

00:3:20 our ratings + book overview

00:8:20 b.k.'s writing style

00:11:00 magical realism & paranormal elements

00:15:20 character dimension & trauma

00:20:00 the setting

00:22:00 the meh hook

00:25:00 the perfect pallet cleanser

00:28:00 visceral emotional reactions

00:33:00 harriet's first memory

00:34:30 sweet sweet soulmates

00:40:30 the boat scene

00:45:50 matched loneliness

00:47:30 hannah's first pod tears

00:51:00 thoughts on dual pov & dialogue

00:53:50 the spy cat

00:56:00 the next books

00:58:00 2025 wrap up foreshadowing

01:02:20 we loved harriet & magic

01:08:15 goodreads choice awards nominations

01:18:00 outro