The Book Jar Podcast

A Brand New Page | What's Next for The Book Jar Podcast

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 02:00:00 -0600

The Book Jar is back, and we're turning over a new page. In this episode, we're catching you up on what's new around The Book Jar, as well as introducing you to two new(ish) hosts that you'll be seeing, or rather hearing, a lot more from! Enjoy!

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.

00:00 Cold Open
0:29
1:05 What's New
2:59 Your New Hosts
24:28 Outro & Socials
26:00 Bloopers

Who Would Win A Fictional Fight Between...? | Let the Fighting Begin!

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 02:00:00 -0700

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

Bookish Confessions | Dust Jackets, Reading Challenges, DNF-ing, and More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:14:33 -0700

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:

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.

The Best Bookstores Worldwide | Portland, Edinburgh, Tokyo, and More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 03:00:21 -0600

Besides that one overly comfortable chair in the corner, every reader's favourite place to be is a bookstore. In this episode, Marissa and Megan share the best bookstores they've explored. From local gems to international stars, these bookstores have one thing in common: they are well-loved and well-read.

As usual, the two 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:

Bookstores We Discuss In This Podcast:

Second Chance Reads (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada)
Slow Burn Books (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Wee Book Inn (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
The Next Page (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Eliot's Bookshop (Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- CLOSED)
The Scribe (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Munro's Books (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)
The Paper Hound Bookshop (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Powell's City of Books (Portland, Oregon, USA)
Persephone Books (Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom)
Armchair Books (Edinburgh, Scotland)
The Gently Mad (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Jimbōchō -- Tokyo's Used-Book District (Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan)

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.

00:00 Cold Open
0:48 Intro
2:42 Recently Read
5:39 Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe
6:15 Love on the Brain
8:14 Belladonna
12:44 Kingdom of the Wicked
15:25 Fayne
17:12 Let's Talk Book Shops!
18:04 Second Chance Reads (GP, CAN)
20:22 Slow Burn Books (Calgary, CAN)
22:24 Wee Book Inn (Edmonton, CAN)
24:17 The Next Page (Calgary, CAN)
26:17 Eliot's Books (Toronto, CAN)
28:58 The Scribe (Toronto, CAN)
30:55 Munro's Books (Victoria, CAN)
35:42 The Paper Hound Bookshop (Vancouver, CAN)
39:16 Powell's City of Books (Portland, USA)
44:01 Persephone Books (Bath, UK)
49:47 Armchair books (Edinburgh, SCO)
52:11 Jimbōchō (Tokyo, JAP)
53:55 The Gently Mad (Edinburgh, SCO)
57:31 Next Topic!
58:58 Current Reads
1:02:24 Outro & Socials
1:03:27 After the Pod

The History of Audiobooks | A Lesson From Megan

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 02:00:00 -0600

Ever heard of audiobooks? How much do you really know about them? In this episode, Megan explores everything audiobook. From the history of audiobooks to its formats, uses, and styles, join along as your two favourite readers explore the world of audiobooks!

As usual, the two 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:

White Horse, Black Nights by Evie Marceau
Silver Wings, Golden Games by Evie Marceau
Dracula by Bram Stoker (Narrated by Mike Bennett)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (Narrated by
Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs
Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang (Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller)
If It Bleeds by Stephen King (Narrated by Will Patton, Danny Burstein, and Steven Weber)
What Happened to You? Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey

Episode References:

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.

00:00 Cold Open
0:32 Intro
3:16 Recently Read
4:06 Silver Wings, Golden Games
13:15 Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe
14:34 Today's Topic!
1:02:00 Drawing the Next Topic
1:02:48 Current & Future Reads
1:03:59 Outro & Socials
1:05:16 After the Pod

Literary Terms 101 With Marissa | Metaphor, Similes, Character Foils & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 01:27:31 -0600

It's time to go back to school! And, what better way to celebrate school than with a test? In this episode, Marissa and Megan review literary terms. Or rather, Marissa quizzes Megan on this terminology while putting her friendship at risk. From metaphor and simile to allusions and character foils, Marissa puts on her teaching hat to share the top literary terms every reader should know -- or learn!

As usual, the two 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:

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.

00:00 Cold Open
0:32 Intro
1:28 Recent Reads
1:37 White Horse, Black Nights
2:54 Siren Queen
3:18 Sky in the Deep
4:09 The Gathering Storm
5:45 ACOTAR
7:03 Without Words
12:48 Literary 101
13:54 Easy Vocab
25:18 Harder Vocab
29:12 Metaphors & Similes
37:28 Even Harder Vocab
40:39 Isn't It Ironic?
57:50 Megan's Score
59:27 Drawing the Next Topic
1:00:17 Current & Upcoming Reads
1:02:17 Outro & Socials
1:04:31 After the Pod

Banned Books: Which Ones We've Read And Our Thoughts | Elana K. Arnold, Judy Blume, J.D. Salinger, and More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 02:00:00 -0600

Books are made to be read, not banned. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss banned books. From the most commonly banned novels to their favourite illicit reads, these two readers dive into why the books are banned and why they disagree. As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar.

Articles referenced in the episode:

Expect us to discuss:

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.

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Books You've Been Avoiding On Your TBR (To-Be Read) Shelf | A Feather So Black, Wheel of Time & Many More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 02:00:00 -0600

This one is dedicated to all the book stacks on all those book shelves just waiting to be read. In this episode, Marissa and Megan uncover their most shameful -- or most interesting -- books on their TBRs that they've been avoiding. From books they didn't even know they owned to books they've been waiting for the perfect moment to pick up, join these two readers as they dive into their TBRs.

As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar and discussing their upcoming reads.

Expect us to discuss:

Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
Robin Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrows
Clariel by Garth Nix
The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The Witchland Series by Susan Dennard (Truthwitch)
The Dark Star Trilogy by Marlon James
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
Glass Thorns Series by Melanie Rawn (Touchstone, Elsewhens & Thornlost)
Zadie Smith
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta
Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

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.

Timestamps:
00:00 Cold Open
0:47 Intro
5:10 Most-Recent Reads
5:36 Knife of Dreams
7:09 Secretly Yours
10:07 The City of Stardust
11:28 Today's Topic: TBR Books
13:03 Doctor Sleep
24:11 The Invisible Library Series
26:40 The Witchland Series
27:58 Before the Coffee Cold Series
28:24 Glass Thorns Series
33:26 Shimmer & Burn
34:36 Witches of Ash and Ruin
38:10 The Dark Star Trilogy
39:21 Crescent City
40:26 The Invisible Life of Addie Larue
41:25 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
43:22 Bookshops and Bonedust
44:04 Never Fade
44:37 Hell Bent
45:49 The Once and Future Witches
47:31 The Darkness Outside Us
48:46 Zadie Smith
50:06 Next Topic!
51:27 Upcoming Reads
52:29 Outro & Socials
53:26 After the Pod

Biggest Bookish Pet Peeves | A Feather So Black, Wheel of Time & Many More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 02:05:00 -0600

All the things that make us cringe, gag, and recoil away from a book within an instant. From abhorrent stickers on book covers to the worst plot devices we've ever read, this week Megan and Marissa discuss their biggest book pet peeves. Marissa also shares an embarrassing reader faux pas she committed and Megan pretends she's very much over it.

As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar and discussing their upcoming reads.

Content Warning: We mention the following on this podcast:

Rape
Misogyny
Sexism
Violence Against Women
Sexual Assault
Sexual Actions

Expect us to discuss:

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
New Spring by Robert Jordan
The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene
A Fragile Enchantment Allison Saft
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

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.

Timestamps:
00:00 Cold Open
0:44 Intro
1:18 The Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
2:30 The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
5:58 The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
7:26 A Feather So Black
10:42 A Fragile Enchantment
12:05 Winter's Orbit
18:00 Yellowface
22:28 Start of Topic: Biggest Bookish Pet Peeves
22:53 Misogyny As Worldbuilding
26:14 Dialogue Hidden In Description
27:03 Groundhog Day Syndrome
29:47 Prologues That Aren't Prologues
32:24 Poor Choreography & Action Scenes
32:46 CW: Mild Sexual Content
33:32 End of CW: Mild Sexual Content
36:36 Casual Realism & Pop Culture
41:07 Physical Pet Peeves
47:27 Formatting
49:53 The Next Topic!
50:56 Upcoming Reads
54:26 Outro & Socials
55:42 After the Pod

Reading Challenges: Everything We Love & Everything We Don't | Crossroads of Twilight, Yellowface, Funny Story & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 03:47:02 -0600

Anybody up for a challenge? Reading challenges are popular across TikTok, StoryGraph, and pretty much anywhere you find readers. Megan and Marissa give their thoughts on reading challenges – which ones they love and which ones they can't quite get into. Megan compares reading challenges to playing the Sims and Marissa changes her opinion quickly as the podcast progresses. As always, they start the podcast with their most recent reads and end it by drawing a new topic from the jar and discussing their upcoming reads.

Expect us to discuss:

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
That Time I Got Drunk & Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming
The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn
Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Funny Story by Emily Henry
And Many 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.

Timestamps
00:00 Cold Open
1:15 Most Recent Reads
1:42 The Bridgerton Series
5:06 One Dark Window
5:55 Half A Soul
7:42 Funny Feelings
8:55 That Time I Got Drunk & Saved A Demon
15:36 Topic: Reading Challenges
16:24 Just Like The Sims
22:00 StoryGraph Challenges
27:35 Setting New Reading Goal
35:12 Upcoming Reads
35:26 Yellowface
36:37 Funny Story
38:57 Crossroad of Twilight
41:11 Drawing Our Next Topic!
42:35 Socials & Outro
44:22 After the Pod

Let's Talk About BookTok 2.0 W/ Alix Calfa | Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Hoover, Robert Jordan, And More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 05:04:02 -0600

Alix Calfa joins us for a surprise guest episode! Marissa and Alix discuss BookTok – and, in fact, all things about books online. The readers tackle discussing good recommendations and poor ones, as well as some of the more popular BookTok books and whether they are worth the read. As always, we start the podcast with some of our more recent reads. And, this time, we end by reviewing Marissa's ever-growing TBR pile.

Expect us to discuss:

Sarah J. Maas
Colleen Hoover
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.

Our Favourite – And Most Remarkable – Bookmarks | Bookmarks, Notation, Dog-Earring, And More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 04:01:21 -0600

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.

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

Top Tips to Getting Out of A Reading Slump | Book Clubs, Reading Challenges, DNF-ing & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 30 May 2024 02:00:00 -0600

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.

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

Our Top Villains In Literature | Dracula, President Snow, Sauron & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 16 May 2024 01:48:33 -0600

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.

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

Our Favourite Autobiographies & Memoirs | Vivek Shraya, Jennette Mccurdy & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 02 May 2024 03:51:03 -0600

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.

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

Poetry 101: Top Tips for Getting Into Poetry | Lang Leav, Shakespeare, Dickinson, Plath & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 02:00:00 -0600

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.

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

Best Book Recommendations We've Given Each Other | Iron Widow, Lore Olympus, Throne of Glass & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 02:00:00 -0600

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.

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

Let's Catch Up On Our Most Recent Reads! | Silver in the Bone, The Wheel of Time, Cruel Illusions & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 02:23:15 -0700

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.

Fave Female Characters in Books w/ Alix Calfa & Tay Andresen | The Poppy War, Stormlight Archive, Sabriel & The Hunger Games

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 03:00:00 -0700

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.

Let's Talk About BookTok w/ Alix Calfa! | Twilight, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Fourth Wing & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 03:29:14 -0700

Another week, another guest. Alix Calfa, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast, joins Marissa to discuss a truly industry-changing social media platform: BookTok. Both Alix and Marissa point out the good, the bad, the ugly, and the inspirational aspects of such a whirlwind force as BookTok is. We mention fave creators, fave book recommendations, and so much more in this episode of the Book Jar Podcast. Alix starts by recounting some of her most recent reads, and then the two readers dive into the topic.

Expect us to discuss:

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Fourth Wing & Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
& Others

Expect Spoilers:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

BookTokkers We Discuss:

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. 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.

Your Fave Feminist Reads w/ Taylor Andresen | Mona Eltahawy, Mikki Kendall, Xiran Jay Zhao & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 02:00:00 -0700

We have another guest on this episode of The Book Jar Pod: Taylor, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast. Together, Marissa and Tay discuss a topic close to their hearts: What are some of your fave feminist reads? Taylor starts by recounting some of her most recent reads, and then the two readers dive into the topic. Let us know how you did in our trivia contest on our Discord channel or Instagram!

We begin with Taylor's most-recently read novels and finish the episode by discussing Tay's fave reads of all time!

Expect us to discuss:

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
A Day of Fallen Night & The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
Breasts & Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
A Woman's Game: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Women's Football by Suzanne Wrack
Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights by Helen Lewis
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy
Off with Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power by Eleanor Herman
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez
The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings, The Stormlight Archive Series)
& 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 Taylor 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.

Books & Literature Trivia Contest | Featuring Tay & Alix From the Queens of Fantasy Podcast

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:19:34 -0700

It's a crossover episode! We have two fabulous guests from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast, with us and we've decided to use a totally legitimate trivia contest and not-at-all-random scoring system to determine the reader who knows the most chaotic facts. Marissa, Megan, Alix, and Tay all have ten questions to ask and far too many answers to give. From Marissa cursing how long its been since she read Lord of the Rings and Little Women to Megan treating trivia like a creative writing prompt, this episode truly does have it all! Let us know how you did in our trivia contest on our Discord channel or Instagram!

We begin with our most currently read novels and finish the episode by discussing the next few podcasts and our next few reads!

Expect us to discuss:

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, Goldenhand, Terciel & Elinor)
Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings, The Stormlight Archive Series, Mistborn)
Emily Dickenson
William Shakespeare
& 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 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.

2023: A Year In Review | Wrapping Up Our 2023 Best & Worst Reads

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 02:00:00 -0700

It's been one heck of a year! And, we feel like we need to talk about the best – and the worst – books we read this year. So, join us, as both readers recap their year. From the number of books and pages read to the genres that filled those pages, these readers are going over it all – and we're thrilled to have you come along for the ride!

We begin with our most currently read novels and finish the episode by discussing next week's topic!

Expect us to discuss:

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
A Room With A View by E.M. Forster
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Neon Gods by Katee Robert
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
A Bite Full of Death by S.J. Stewart
Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Immortal Longings)
Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, Goldenhand, Terciel & Elinor)
Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings, The Stormlight Archive Series)
Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
Tao Te Ching by Laozi
& 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.

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.

Our Favourite Unproblematic Authors | R.F. Kuang, Xiran Jay Zhao, Chloe Gong & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 02:56:07 -0700

Megan and Marissa switch up their topic to talk about some amazing authors who also seem like great human beings. From calling out racism and misogyny and talking about hard-to-talk-about topics to donating time, money, and resources to charity, these authors are some of our favourites to read and recommend – on and off the page. Inspired by some recent events in the book world, this topic aims to talk about authors we'd happily recommend to anyone – and we're starting with you!

We begin with our most currently read novels and finish the episode by discussing our next week's topic, and our upcoming reads!

Expect us to discuss:

Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow, Heavenly Tyrant)
R.F. Kuang (Yellowface, Babel, The Poppy War)
Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Immortal Longings)
Susan Dennard (Witchlight Series, The Luminaries)
Hank Green (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing & A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor)
Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, Goldenhand)
Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings, The Stormlight Archive Series)
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
Tao Te Ching by Laozi

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.

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,

Fan-Casting Popular Books (And Our Fave Novels) | Throne of Glass, Dracula, ACOTAR, Sabriel & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 02:00:00 -0700

Casting movies and TV shows is a hard task. Naturally, this means we have to try it out for ourselves. In this episode, Marissa and Megan fan-cast some popular and some of their favourite novels. Marissa personally takes a hand at casting for Dracula, Throne of Glass, and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Megan decides that Ninth House, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and Sabriel are all in desperate need of an adaptation. Plus, Marissa adds a small twist of her own with a second list, just for fun.

As always, we open with the books we've recently read. And, we finish by talking about what's up next on our reading list, as well as pulling our next question from the book jar! 🫙

Expect us to discuss:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing & A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
War by Laura Thalassa
Famine by Laura Thalassa
Death by Laura Thalassa
The Dragon Reborn: Book Three of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Silenced by Ann Claycomb

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.

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!

NSFW Best and Worst Sex Scenes You've Ever Read | The Crown of Gilded Bones, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Haunting Adeline & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 04:23:49 -0700

Talk dirty to me... or maybe don't. In this NSFW episode of The Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan share the best and the worst sex scenes they've read in novels. From terrible anatomy to euphemisms sheathed between lines, these sex scenes will leave you with questions you don't want answered.

The first portion of this podcast is safe for work, with Marissa and Megan recounting the books they've read since our last podcast. Then, after a warning, we switch to Explicit mode, talking about this episode's topic. At the end of the episode, they talk about their upcoming reads and draw the next topic from the book jar.

Expect us to talk about:

The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Court of Thorns and Roses Trilogy by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert
Soul Feud by Juniper Jackson
Talk Flirty to Me by Livy Hart
Radiance by Grace Draven
Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Haunting Adeline by H. D. Carlton
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
& Others

Link to Worst Sex Writing of 2018
Link to Literary Review Worst Sex Writing Competition
Link to Tampon Scene from Fifty Shades of Grey

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.

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!

Tropes That Belong In Trope Jail | Talking About ACOTAR, Ninth House, City of Bones & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 02:00:00 -0600

Content Warnings: Incest, sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, pedophilia

Straight to Trope Jail! Alright, we're talking about all the tropes that make us the most irritated. In short, the ones that make us wish we could make writing those tropes absolutely illegal.

As always, we start by discussing our most recent reads and then dive straight into our topic. At the end of the pod, we discuss our upcoming reads and reveal our next topic (which, be warned, is a bit spicy 🥵)

Expect us to talk about:

Talk Dirty to Me by Livy Hart
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
A Court of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
And 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.

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!

What Books Took You Forever to Read? | Dracula, The Burning Gods, Emma & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 02:00:00 -0600

No matter your reading speed, some books just sit on your "currently reading" shelf for longer than others. From being a bit on the slow side to being a more challenging read, these books aren't necessarily bad (though, sometimes, they are) but they do take extra time, dedication, and perserverance to finish. We're talking about those books this week: the ones who carried around for a bit longer than normal in order to finish.

We start the pod as always by talking about our most recent reads and then move on to our topic. At the end, we talk about what we're currently reading and what the next topic is that you can expect.

In this episode, we discuss:

Dracula by Bram Stoker
Talk Flirty to Me by Livy Hart
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
Yume by Sifton Tracey Anipare
Emma by Jane Austen
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
The Witcher Series by Andrzej Sapkowski
The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis
Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston
Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Cold Queen by K Webster
A Bite Full Of Death by S.J. Stewart
What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey

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.

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!

All Of Our Most Recent Reads | Megan & Marissa Play Catch Up

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 01:16:06 -0600

Megan returns and we're using the first podcast to catch up on all the great books both readers have read over the past few months. They end by discussing their current reads and revealing the next topic pulled from the book jar.

Expect us to discuss:

Angel Mage by Garth Nix
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman & Amanda Foody
Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Strike the Zither by Joan He
The Hating Game by Sally Throne
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin by Kate Chopin
Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories by Paul Dini
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
The Da Vinci Code by Robert Langdon
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

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.

What Is Your Favourite Fantasy Series Or Books w/ Alix & Tay | Stormlight Archives, The Wheel of Time, Percy Jackson & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 02:45:15 -0600

Dragons, elves, witches, warlocks, adventures with Hobbits, fae kings and queens: what's not to love about fantasy novels? While fantasy is a fun and captivating genre to read, some fantasy books hit us harder. From high fantasy worlds dreamt up by Tolkien, Sanderson, and Maas to gripping low fantasy adventures from Chloe Gong and Leigh Bardugo, this week we're talking about the fantasy books and series we love.

Oh, and we're doing it with two guests! Meet Alix and Tay, two queens of fantasy.

We end with an exciting announcement about our newest project, The Queens of Fantasy Podcast! 👑

Expect us to talk about:

The Way of Kings & Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson)
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Six of Crows & Shadow of Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Series) by Garth Nix
& More

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.

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!

The Best Book Endings With Alix Calfa | The Awakening, Lord of the Rings & Throne of Glass

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 02:17:17 -0600

What makes a good book ending? From the nicely wrapped-up books written by Jane Austen to the frustrating, hand-wringing cliffhangers by Sarah J. Maas, Marissa and Alix, our guest star, discuss all the books that ended perfectly – at least for them.

We end with an exciting announcement about our newest project!

Expect us to talk about:

Emma by Jane Austen
The Way of Kings & Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson)
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
& More

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.

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

What Books Influenced You As A Reader? | Twilight, The Hunger Games, Throne of Glass & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 02:20:02 -0600

Alix is back with Marissa to discuss all the books that influenced them. From changing what type of main characters they looked for to reminding them of the value of a fast and fun read, Marissa and guest, Alix, are diving into a wonderful world of books that left their mark.

The two readers end this episode by pulling next week's out of the jar.

Expect us to discuss:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (& Brandon Sanderson)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
& More

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.

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!

What Is Your Best Literary Brag? | Talking About Fast Reading, Classics & Owning A Lot Of Books

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 01:58:40 -0600

Marissa is joined by a different reader this week, Alix Calfa. Together, Alix and Marissa discuss their biggest and greatest literary brags. From accounting the many books they've read over the years to the amazing feat of being able to read in a car, the two readers use this rare opportunity to brag it up.

Expect us to discuss:

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Multiple Works by William Shakespeare
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (& Brandon Sanderson)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

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.

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!

What Genres Are You Surprised Are Popular & Which Do You Wish Would Get More Love?

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 03:29:34 -0600

Trends are often surprising. In this episode, our two readers discuss all the surprise trends they've seen recently – and some they wish would come back around. From the surge of love for historical romance novels to the desire to find a few more steampunk novels on the shelf, we're here to discuss it all.

Expect us to start with a recap of Marissa's past two weeks of reading, which might take a while. And then, the two readers dive right in, finishing off with some news, an announcement of a guest, and their upcoming reads.

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.

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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!

What Is Your Favourite Book With A Sad Or Tragic Ending? | Romeo & Juliet, We Were Liars, No One Is Talking About This & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 04:15:12 -0600

Sometimes, a happily ever after just isn't possible. This week, Megan and Marissa discuss their fave books that end in sadness and tragedy. From Romeo & Juliet to No One Is Talking About This, get ready to hear about the saddest stories that we loved reading. Please be warned that this episode does contain spoilers.

As always, we start with a discussion on our most recent reads and we end with our upcoming reads and the drawing of our next topic.

Expect us to discuss:

The Stormlight Archive Series by Brandon Sanderson
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster with Oliver Stallybrass
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky by Kyril FitzLyon, Joan Acocella & Vaslav Nijinsky
José Limon: An Unfinished Memoir by Lynn Garafola, José Limon
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Never Let Me Go by Kazoo Ishiguro
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

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.

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!

Facts We Get Wrong: 1) Leviathan Wakes is a novel written by two writers joined under the pen name James S.A. Corey. Marissa incorrectly states that this is one person, and also misses the S. initial.
2) A copy of Vaslav Nijinksy's diary is available in full, without omissions previously made by his wife.

Who Are Your Favourite Popular Young Adult (YA) Characters? | The Hunger Games, Throne of Glass, The Hate U Give & Sailor Moon

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 03:02:52 -0600

Young adult characters are some of the most memorable characters in literature. Whether inspired by real-life events or for the purpose of flying around mythical lands, YA characters can obtain their popularity for many reasons. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss which popular YA characters are their favourites and why.

We also discuss our most recent reads, the end of Marissa's reading slump, upcoming reads, and our next topic.

Expect us to discuss:

Soul Feud by Juniper Jackson
ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

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.

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!

What Books Do You Wish Would Get An Adaptation? | The Shining, A Magic Steeped In Poison & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:36:03 -0600

The book might be better, but sometimes the movie just hits the spot. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the books they'd love to see come to life on the screen. From favourites they want to see come alive to stories that had potential but didn't marvel, we dive into these books and what makes them perfect for the big screen.

We also discuss our most recent reads, the end of Marissa's reading slump, upcoming reads, and our next topic.

Expect us to discuss:

The Shining by Stephen King
Jane Austen's Novel Collection
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
& Many More

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.

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!

How Do You Decide Which Books You Keep On Your Shelf? | A Series of Unfortunate Events, Twilight, Ruth Ware & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 18 May 2023 03:33:57 -0600

Are you a book hoarder or a careful collector? In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss how they decide which books get to grace their shelves and which ones get donated or sent away. From beautiful copies to nostalgic editions and everything in between, these two readers are discussing the biggest question for book lovers: how do you decide which ones to let go of?

We also discuss our most recent reads, Marissa's reading slump, upcoming reads, and our next topic.

Expect us to discuss:

Ruth Ware
Susan Dennard
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickets (Daniel Handler)
Sarah J. Maas
Gossip Girl Series by Cecily von Ziegesar
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
& Many More

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.

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!

Our Favourite Plot-Based Tropes | The Hunger Games, Sailor Moon, Lord of the Rings & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 04 May 2023 02:00:00 -0600

When it comes to plots, we all have tropes we love. From enemies becoming friends to found family and more, Megan and Marissa discuss the plot tropes they can't get enough of. Both readers dive into the specifics of the tropes that they love – and expect us to gush about our absolute favourite examples as well!

Expect us to discuss:

Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romansco-Moore
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Panic by Lauren Oliver
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
& Many More

We finish the episode by drawing our next topic!

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.

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!

What Book-Related Questions Have We Always Wanted to Ask Each Other? | Megan & Marissa Quiz Each Other

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 02:38:27 -0600

It's like 20 questions, but all about books! Megan and Marissa ask each other book-related questions that they've always wanted to ask each other. From debating who would win a crossover Hunger Games between Sabriel and Katniss to discovering the best and worst book recommendations we've given each other, this episode is all about answering the easy, the fun, and the hard questions we have for each other.

Expect us to discuss:

Sabriel by Garth Nix
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Red Queen & War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
& Many More

We finish the episode by drawing our next topic!

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.

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!

If You Could Make One Change To A Book, What Would It Be? | Twilight, City of Bones, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 03:39:56 -0600

This one is dedicated to all the books that were almost a favourite – if it weren't for that one thing. In this episode, our beloved readers, Megan and Marissa, reveal the changes they'd make to a few novels to improve the story for them. Removing tropes, changing character arcs, and removing a character's death: we're bringing it all up this week.

Expect us to discuss:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
And More

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.

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!

Meet The Readers: Marissa & Megan Talk Books, Hobbies & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 02:15:27 -0600

Megan and Marissa are answering questions about themselves this week. From discussing their non-book-related interests and hobbies to recalling how they started reading and met, the two readers are deep diving to help you get to know them better.

Expect us to discuss:

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Emma by Jane Austen
And More

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.

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!

Books That Were Our Quickest Reads | Sue Lynn Tan, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Hoover & Many More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 03:02:25 -0700

This one's for those readers still reading at 2 am, even though they have to work the next day. In this episode, Megan and Marissa are recounting the books that they burned through quickly – for both good and bad reasons.

We start by discussing our most recent reads and then move into the topic, discussing what kind of books we read quickly and why. Lastly, we discuss our upcoming and current reads and draw our next topic from our book jar!

Expect us to discuss:

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
It Ends With Us & Verity by Colleen Hoover
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Throne of Glass & A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Lost At Sea & Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi
Eon by Alison Goodman
Neon Gods & Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert
& More

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.

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!

Books We've Read With the Worst Endings | It Ends With Us, The Burning God, My Name Is Memory & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 02:11:32 -0700

A good ending is important. A bad ending can ruin the book. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the worst endings to books they've read. From leaving a sour taste in our mouths to completely destroying a beloved series, the worst endings come in all shapes and sizes.

We start this episode by talking over our most recent reads, which leads us straight into this week's topic: The worst book endings we've ever read. Marissa and Megan discuss the "one year later" epilogue and how it's ruined more books than it's saved. Expect us to also discuss Allegiant by Veronica Roth, The Death Cure by James Dashner, The Burning God by R.F. Kuang, My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares, and others.

Lastly, we discuss our upcoming and current reads and draw our next topic from our book jar!

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.

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!

Why Do YA (Young Adult) Authors & Books Get So Much Hate? | Twilight, The Hunger Games & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:06:12 -0700

It's easy to find hate about the YA genre. From protesting that these books aren't valuable to keeping adults from reading YA, it seems there are so many reasons people hate on YA. But is the hate deserved? We think not.

Megan and Marissa discuss all the most popular reasons cited for people to hate YA – and we argue about which points are valid (lack of diversity, etc.) and which ones are not (lack of literary value, for one).

We begin as always by talking about our most recent reads and, of course, finish off by mentioning upcoming reads and drawing our next topic from our book jar.

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.

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!

What Are Your Favourite Movie And TV Show Adaptations? | Emma, The Hunger Games, Holes & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 04:33:41 -0700

Is the book better? Or the movie? How about both? In this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan compare notes on their favourite book-to-movie/tv-series adaptations. From Jane Austen's plethora of movies to nostalgic numbers like Holes by Louis Sachar, we're talking about all the movies and tv shows we've adored, even though they started on the page. As always, we start our podcast by discussing our most recent reads and finish up by looking towards the books that are moving up our TBR lists. Oh, and to end the whole thing, we draw our next topic from our book jar.

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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!

Our Reading Goals: A Year in Review & A Glance Forward

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 03:09:14 -0700

Everyone loves a reading goal. Marissa and Megan are back to discuss their reading goals for 2023 – plus a review of how 2022 has been for us! We start by discussing 2022 and how our reading looked throughout the year. Then, we make new reading goals for the upcoming year. We end it off by discussing upcoming reads and drawing our next topic for our book jar.

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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!

Overhyped Books That We Didn't Fall In Love With

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 02:41:54 -0700

Marissa and Megan discuss some overhyped books in this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast. From some self-help books that didn't help to TikTok recommendations that didn't stick, we're talking about it all.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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.

The Top Dedication Pages in Books We've Found

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 22:57:48 -0700

Dedication pages are fun – and sometimes they're just a bit sweet, sad, or beautiful. We're resisting favourite dedication pages we've discovered through our reading history. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, upcoming reads, their book club, and other bookish things!

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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.

Books You Wish You Could Read For The First Time Again | Sabriel, The Ones We're Meant to Find & Jane Eyre

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:54:17 -0600

There's nothing like the first time. Megan and Marissa discuss which books they wish they could read again for the first time. Marissa takes into consideration her all-time faves, while Meg wonders what it might be like if she read books she doesn't think she would like the second time around. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, upcoming reads, their book club, and other bookish things!

Expect them to discuss:

Harry Potter
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Sabriel by Garth Nix
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
Eon by Alison Goodman

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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.

Favourite Book Fan Theories | Discussing Twilight, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:20:22 -0600

**Spoiler Warnings for Harry Potter, Twilight, Sailor Moon, A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Court of Thorns & Roses & Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde**

Fan theories make reading communities better! So, in this episode, we're diving into our personal faves. From Draco Malfoy being a werewolf to Reneesme being a villain, we're breaking down some theories you may or may not have heard of.

Make sure to join us on social media to tell us your fave fan theory!

We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week.

For the Hagrid Fan Theory, check out this website.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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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.

Books That Hooked Us From The First Line, Page & Chapter | Percy Jackson, Jane Eyre, Turn of the Key & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 01:47:47 -0600

**Content Warning: Mentions of death, dying, and sex.**

We are talking about books that have great hooks. From renowned classics to our fave modern books (and audiobooks), some books get you right from the start. Marissa and Megan read a few of their faves.

Expect us to discuss:

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Emma by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Panic by Lauren Oliver
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
& Many More

We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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

Extra, Extra | Upcoming Book Releases & Movie Adaptations for September & October 2022

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 01:46:26 -0600

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for October and a recap of September 2022.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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

Manga, Comic Books & Graphic Novels We Love | The Walking Dead, Archie Comics & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:19:41 -0600

**Spoilers for The Walking Dead.**
**Content Warning: We do talk about sex and mention some violent content from The Walking Dead graphic novels.**

What do Bryan Lee O'Malley, Rachel Smythe, Shaun Tan, and Lights have in common? They're all comics whose graphic novels we loved reading. In this episode, we're talking about graphic novels, comics, and manga. And we're starting with Archie.

We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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Books That Had The Biggest Emotional Impact On You | John Green, Jim Wooten & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 02:00:00 -0600

We're getting emotional this week. Join us on a deep dive into the books that made us feel the most: anger, sadness, hope, and disgust. We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week.

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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Book Characters You Wouldn't Want to Meet in Real Life | Geralt, Hera, Fang Runin & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 02:02:09 -0600

Some characters you dream of meeting. Others, you would run from. In this episode, we discuss our personal favourite characters who we'd rather not meet in real life – for a variety of reasons.

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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Describing Popular Books In One Sentence | A Book Jar Guessing Game

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 02:01:46 -0600

Content Warning: We discuss a book that contains mentions of sexual assault, harassment, and rape. If this content is not for you, please stop listening when we talk about our upcoming reads at the end of the podcast.

We're here to have a little bit of fun this week! Courtesy of one of our listeners, Alix, we're describing great books (both to us personally and to the global audience) in a single sentence. Some descriptions are obvious. Others require a bit more thought.

See if you can keep up with Megan and Marissa with their guesses. Expect us to discuss classic novels, children's literature, fantasy and sci-fi, and so many more.

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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Extra, Extra | Upcoming Book Releases & Movie Adaptations for August 2022

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 22:28:01 -0600

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for August 2022.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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

Books That You Hated At First | John Green, Jane Austen & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 03:23:44 -0600

What do John Green, Jane Austen, and a few others have in common? Well, when we picked up their books, we weren't always in love. As usual, Megan and Marissa start off by discussing their most recent reads: Megan discusses a finished book of hers, Yume by Sifton Tracey Anipare, and Marissa (for the first time ever since starting this podcast) has no new books to report.

From there, we dive into the topic of the week: What book did you hate at first, but end up loving? Marissa discusses Villette by Charlotte Brontë, The Alienist by Caleb Carr, and Paper Towns by John Green. Megan takes her time to discuss Emma by Jane Austen, The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews, and Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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Which Books Do You Wish Would Go Mainstream? | Pure, The Bone House & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 01:55:44 -0600

Let's get to our deep dive book recommendations! Megan and Marissa start off by discussing their most recent reads: Marissa lists her four reads and Megan talks about the book she's currently working on finishing.

From there, we dive into topic of the week: What book do you love that isn't mainstream, but you wish it was? Marissa starts off by discussing We All Love the Beautiful Girls by Joanne Proulx, a novel based in suburban Quebec that narrates the unfolding of a family after two tragedies. Megan goes on to discuss The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: a fantasy novel about Ryn, a gravedigger. Marissa talks about Pure by Julianna Baggott, a book about a dystopian world in which people are fused with objects.

Megan, sticking with her theme about bones, mentions The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco, which tells the story of Tea, who accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, revealing her necromancy powers. Keeping with the darker theme, Marissa mentions The Little Black Book of Stories by AS Byatt, a collection of five short stories centred on chilling, almost ghost-story-like tales. Megan continues by talking about The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen: a novel about the Crow caste who are contracted to find a dead prince but end up finding something else. Marissa ends it off by discussing one of her favourite books of poetry: I Have to Live by Aisha Sasha John, which centres on the need to survive.

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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

Extra, Extra | Here's Your Upcoming Book Releases & Movie Adaptions for July 2022

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 01:56:26 -0600

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for July 2022.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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

A Mid-Year Reading Check-In | Talking About Our Most and Least Faves So Far in 2022

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 03:12:39 -0600

It's our mid-year check-in! Marissa and Megan embark on a review of the highs and lows of 2022 so far! We start by discussing our reading goals for the year and whether or not we're ahead or behind schedule. We also talk about the main themes, genres, book pacing, and pages that we've read this year, using the data from our Storygraph accounts. (If you're looking to see our Storygraph accounts, you can find Marissa's here and Megan's here.)

From there, we break down our highest-rated and lowest-rated reads from this year. You can expect us to talk about a number of novels and books, including:

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toskikazu Kawaguchi (Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot)
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Persuasion by Jane Austen
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (skip to 41:18 to avoid any spoilers)
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Emma by Jane Austen
The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (section ends at 1:01:26)

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

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

What Makes A Good Villain A Good Villain | Great Antagonists | Iron Widow, Frankenstein, Othello & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 01:50:46 -0600

All that's evil is not created equal. Marissa and Megan start off this podcast by discussing our most recent reads before we dive into an in-depth discussion of several great antagonists and what makes them so great at being bad.

We start with a discussion of the eight main categories of villains: The Anti-Villain, The Beast, The Bully, The Machine, The Mastermind, Evil Incarnate, The Henchman, and The Fanatic. From there, we break down the characteristics that make those bad guys/gals/enbies so amazing to hate.

Expect us to also discuss Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Shining by Stephen King, Matilda by Ronald Dahl, Harry Potter series by No One, Othello by Shakespeare, No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein, IT by Stephen King, and several others.

From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic.

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Your Monthly Extra Extra | June 2022 Book News & New Releases

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 00:59:05 -0600

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for June 2022.

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Books with the Best Worldbuilding w/ Alix Calfa | Mistborn, Wheel of Time, Tolkein's Middle Earth & More

Marissa Trarback, Alix Calfa — Thu, 26 May 2022 17:34:45 -0600

Places of magic, wonder, and realism: we're talking about worldbuilding! Marissa and not-Megan are back in this episode with the best worldbuilding in novels. Alix Calfa fills in for Megan this week and together Marissa and Alix discuss a number of books, including novels by Brandon Sanderson, J.R.R. Tolkein, Dan Brown, and so many more. They also discuss books they have recently finished and finish the episode with a look ahead to next week's topic.

Marissa starts off the podcast by discussing John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed, which she just recently finished. We also introduce our guest, Alix Calfa, who discusses her most recent read. From there, both bookworms jump into this week's topic: What is the best worldbuilding you've read in a novel?

Marissa starts by discussing the types of worldbuilding in novels: imaginary, alternate reality, and real places. From there, the readers start with the King of Worldbuilding himself: Mr. J.R.R. Tolkein. Alix jumps into several great and recent reads of hers, including the Mistborn series and Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Together, the two bookish friends discuss a number of other imaginary worldbuilding, including Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, and a few others.

After that, they discuss alternate reality worlds. Marissa brings up some classics of this type, including Twilight and Harry Potter and expands into a recent read of her own: Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. Alix discusses the Akata Witch series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Ready Player One, Dune, The Forgotten Daughter, and DaVinci Code.

Lastly, Marissa talks about how vital worldbuilding is even in novels that take place in real places. To strike her point home, she discusses Lures by Sue Goyette, Villette and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and Jane Austen. Alix finishes off this episode by discussing a few worldbuilding novels that were only "meh," citing Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and others.

And, to end the podcast, we draw our next week's topic.

If you're looking to find Alix on social, you can find her on Twitter (@alixcalfa), Instagram (@alixcalfa), and BookTok (@alsbooks).

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What Are the Best Types of Book Endings? | S.E. Hinton, Suzanne Collins, Markus Zusak & Many More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 12 May 2022 02:07:33 -0600

Happily ever after – and sometimes not. We're breaking down what makes an ending in a novel good, and which endings are our faves. But first, we start by discussing our most recent reads.

From there, we dive into the topic, first discussing six main types of novel endings (Resolved, Unresolved, Ambiguous, Expanded, Unexpected, and Tied). Megan and Marissa briefly describe each and then dive into examples of novels that they've enjoyed from each category. Megan discusses several resolved endings of novels, including Suzanne Collins' The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Laurie Frankel's This is How it Always is. Marissa discusses how much she hates unresolved endings but loves a well-written ambiguous ending. Both Megan and Marissa discuss the merits and pitfalls of an expanded ending, exemplifying The Book Thief by Markus Zusak as a balanced expanded ending and criticizing Sarah J. Maas for her neat bow-tie ending of the Throne of Glass series.

Expect us to also discuss: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, and several others.

From there, the readers discuss new books, up-next reads, and draw for the next podcast's topic.

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Your Monthly Extra Extra | May 2022 Book News

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:23:49 -0600

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for May 2022.

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Who Are Your Fave Go-To Authors? | John Green, Susan Dennard, Ruth Ware & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 02:50:41 -0600

We start off this week, as always, by talking about our most recent reads. Marissa discusses Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith and Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. Megan takes her turn to discuss The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. From there, the readers dive into this week's topic: Who are your favourite, go-to authors? These are the authors who you always buy no matter what.

Marissa starts off, as usual, by breaking down the topic. This leads her to discuss an author who was previously a go-to read of hers until the author lost her trust: Gayle Forman. Megan counters with an actual answer, taking the opportunity to discuss Susan Dennard. It returns to Marissa with her turn to discuss Zadie Smith and how she first encountered this witty writer. Megan explores her fave mystery writer, Ruth Ware, and how this author came to carve out a spot in her heart.

Marissa then goes off on a John and Hank Green tangent to discuss her love of the Green brothers. Megan takes an opportunity to bring Joan He back up in this podcast, because we can't possibly go too many weeks without mentioning this star-studded author. From there, she pivots to a TikTok fave: Adrienne Young. To close it out, the bookworms discuss their final few authors, including Garth Nix and Liz Howard.

From there, the readers discuss new books, up-next reads, and draw for the next podcast's topic.

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Books Series You Originally Hated But Are Glad You Finished | Lemony Snicket, A Throne of Glass & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 01:11:22 -0600

We open, as always, with a dive into our most recent reads. Megan discusses Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz. Marissa discusses two very recent reads: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu with illustrations by Sana Takeda. After that, they dive into this podcast's topic: What books did you hate at first but you're glad you finished the series for?

Marissa begins the discussion by bringing up the weirdness of her willingness to DNF series, even when she won't DNF books themselves. Megan starts off by discussing The Maze Runner by James Dashner and how the series kept her on her toes. Marissa brings up a popular novel: A Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. In her first reading, she didn't hate it... but it also took her about ten years to want to continue the series. Megan discusses The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson, which disappointed her at the start but pulled her back in with force. Marissa recalls a children's series that she did finish, and did love, but never really hated: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler). Megan dives back into her Mulan-Esque novels with Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis. Marissa finishes off her list with Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi and Megan mentions her honourable mention.

From there, the readers discuss new books, up-next reads, and draw for the next podcast's topic.

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Your Monthly Extra Extra | April Book News

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 02:36:55 -0600

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for April 2022.

Oh. And, also Marissa mentions a BookTokker in the podcast, who you should definitely check out >> @limmadi8

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What Are The Best Themes We've Read In Novels? | V for Vendetta, Hank Green, Jesse Thistle & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 02:00:00 -0600

Content Warning: In this episode, we talk about personal stories related to loss and death. This topic is contained to the end of the podcast; however, if this could be potentially distressing or upsetting for you to listen to, please stop listening at 00:57:30 and skip to 01:03:34. Thank you.

Marissa opens the podcast and, for once, Megan has more books read over the past two weeks. She discusses The Dragon Republic by RF Kuang, Monstress by Marjorie Liu (Drawn by Sana Takeda), and Along for the Ride by Mimi Grace. Marissa only has one book on her list: A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown.

Then, they dive into the topic for the week: What are the best themes you've read in novels? Marissa starts with a dive into V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and the themes of anarchy and freedom. Megan dives into Warcross by Marie Lu, discussing the implications of technology and its connections to morality. Marissa flips over to a recent read of hers to discuss A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green and his own discussion about the moral implications of new social media and technology, as well as his discussions about existentialism and life itself. Megan takes her own turn for a positive theme with The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, And the Horse by Charlie Mackesy, where the discussion of self-love and forgiveness takes hold. From there, Megan takes a dive away from her usual novels and recalls a non-fiction read: From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle. In this work, Thistle expands on some more intense themes of generational trauma, resiliency, and systemic racism. To wrap it up, Marissa discusses female anger and rage in Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow and Megan talks about loss and human connection in Gayle Forman's I Have Lost My Way.

The readers finish it off by discussing their reading goals for the next two weeks and pull the next topic from the Book Jar.

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Which Novels Have the Best Endings | Talking About Jane Eyre, The Ones We're Meant to Find & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 02:00:00 -0600

Once Marissa figures out how to open a podcast, the two readers dive into discussing their most recent reads. Over the past two weeks, both readers have a shorter list than normal, but we're chit-chatting about Emma by Jane Austen, Villette by Charlotte Bronte, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green, and Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham.

From there, they dive into the bold, the beautiful, and the brilliantly open-ended novel endings they've loved. Marissa talks about her first fave book ending from Ms. Bronte while Megan deep dives into an ending from every millennial childhood. The bookish fiends revisit a Book Jar favourite in Joan He's The Ones We're Meant to Find and discuss why the open ending is the best choice for this novel. Megan discusses The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Megan mentions a novel by Stephen King that might be a bit underrated. To wrap it up, Marissa revisits a novel dear to her own childhood (Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland), Megan chats about another Mulan-esque novel (Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh), and Marissa goes back to Sailor Moon #12 to discuss why and how the series was ended perfectly.

Overall, both readers discuss what makes a satisfying ending to a novel. Is it the happiness of the characters? The realness of the story? What makes a good read?

The readers finish it off by discussing their reading goals for the next two weeks and pull the next topic from the Book Jar.

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Books We've DNF'd & Why? | Sarah J. Maas, Jane Austen & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:44:53 -0700

We're back with another episode of The Book Jar Podcast and we're discussing our most spectacular DNFs. We start this week's podcast with a review of our most recent reads: Marissa's got a long list and Megan has a modest one.

From there, we dive into DNF lists. Marissa takes a brief moment to discuss why she is a "carry-on" type reader with books she doesn't love and Megan defends the lost art of putting down a book to never, ever pick it up again.

Megan and Marissa then dive into an account of all the books they've ever not finished. Megan cites some terrible romance scenes in a popular series, Marissa discusses how backpacking through Scotland inadvertently led to her never finishing Cloud Atlas, and both discuss some novels that they WISH they had never picked up in the first place.

The readers finish it off by discussing their reading goals for the next two weeks and pull the next topic from the Book Jar.

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Romances That Make Or Break A Novel | Book & Trope Discussion

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:29:23 -0700

**Content Warning** In this episode, we discuss novels with a variety of themes, including domestic abuse, incest, rape, sexual assault/harassment, and toxic relationships. Please be advised if these topics may be triggering to you.

The bookworms are back, and this time they are discussing romances that make or break books. First, though, Marissa and Megan review the books they've read in the past two weeks, including The Poppy Wars by R. F. Kuang, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn, and others.

Next, the two avid readers dive into the question of the podcast: can romance make or break a novel? Marissa starts off by explaining her own take on this question and how it lends to her reading experience. From there, the readers bring up a variety of books from Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass, Morgan Rhodes' The Falling Kingdoms, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, Cora Carmack's Roar, and others. Then, we move on to common romance tropes that ruin (or make!) a novel for us, including Accidental Pregnancies, A Love Interest Cures Trauma, and others.

From there, we wrap it up by discussing what books we're looking to read next, and we finish it off by drawing our next podcast topic.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

We talk in detail about most of the books in this episode, but definitely expect spoilers for:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs

Books With Open Endings That We Loved (& Hated) | A.S. Byatt, Gone Girl & More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 03:09:19 -0700

The podcast opens with our usual discussion about our most recent reads. Marissa discusses several novels, including her first Colleen Hoover read, and Megan dives into her newfound love for Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe. Other recent reads include The Weight of Sand by Edith Blais, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, Stardust by Neil Gaiman, and Persuasion by Jane Austen.

From there, our readers dive into this week's topic. Marissa opens the discussion with a strong opinion on why open-ended novels can be the most amazing experience, while Megan argues for why she often avoids them. And, despite that, the readers start with a great contemporary example of an ambiguously ended story: Joan He's The Ones We're Meant to Find.

Marissa goes on to discuss Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and both Megan and Marissa discuss John Green's novel Looking for Alaska and why this ambiguous ending is vital to the characters in the story. Megan brings up Ann Brashares' novel, My Name is Memory, which is technically an unfinished series that left a lot of questions for the readers. Marissa counters with Zadie Smith's book, White Teeth, which imagines the potential ending for its characters without confirming anything. Megan finishes her list with Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key and Joan He's Descendant of the Crane, while Marissa laments about her favourite short story writer, A.S. Byatt.

In the end, the two bookish podcasters make promises for their upcoming reads and draw their next topic from the book jar.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

**Some spoilers in the episode for the following books**

Joan He's The Ones We're Meant to Find
Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl
John Green's Looking for Alaska
John Green's Paper Towns
Ann Brashares My Name is Memory
Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key
Joan He's Descendant of the Crane

What Are Your Go-To Book Genres?

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 02:00:00 -0700

Marissa and Megan start off this episode by discussing their most recent book-ish triumphs, including a brief review of each (although you can find a full review on our Instagram account). Marissa discusses Joan He's novel, The One's We're Meant to Find, Sailor Moon 10 by Naoko Takeuchi, and Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe and Megan talks about Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse by Charlie Mackesy, and We Met in December by Rosie Curtis. Afterwards, both Marissa and Megan make reading pledges for the upcoming year. And then, they dive into the topic.

The two bookworms discuss their more general go-to genres, including fantasy and young adult. Then, they deep dive into the more specific subgenres that they tend to navigate towards. From steampunk, fairy tales, mystery, and high fantasy to low and urban fantasy and cyberpunk, we're here to discuss the faves of all the genres.

The readers wrap it up with a discussion on what is up next on their TBR list and finish off by drawing their next topic from their book jar.

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Books That Made Us The Readers We Are | The Princess Diaries, Sabriel & So Many More

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 02:04:10 -0700

These two avid readers start by discussing the books they've read since the last episode (and, yes, Marissa binged an entire Manga series) before diving into this week's topic. Megan also discusses her read – An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green – in great detail.

Then, Megan and Marissa dive right into this episode's topic with a book that they share from their childhood memories: Sabriel. Marissa discusses The Princess Diaries in great detail, and Megan dives into the cultural phenomena of Twilight. The two readers also discuss Ella Enchanted, The Golden Compass, and so many more.

After a lengthy discussion, we wrap this one up with our upcoming reads. And, to end it all, we draw our next topic out of our book jar.

Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar.

All the Tropes We Hate in Books

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 01:52:44 -0700

The second episode of The Book Jar Podcast is now live! Marissa and Megan discuss the books they've most recently devoured and then dive into this week's topic: What are your least favourite plot tropes?

We've got Damsels in Distress, Hotter is Better, Break His Heart to Save Him, and so much more in store – with references to the novels that dealt with the tropes the worst (plus, a few that get passes because they were put to good use).

After a lengthy discussion of our first official topic, Marissa and Megan wrap up by declaring the next few books on their TBR lists. Oh, and they draw the next topic before saying goodbye for now.

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Meet the Readers: Megan & Marissa

Marissa Trarback, Megan Breitenbach — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 01:28:07 -0700

In the first episode of The Book Jar Pod, Marissa and Megan discuss all their bookish faves. From tropes to genres, characters, and a game of Would-You-Rather, these two avid readers introduce you to all their favourites.

They also pull their first topic out of the book jar. Want your topic added to the book jar? DM us on social media to get your question added.

This episode contains no spoilers.