This week, we’re joined by BookTube royalty and queen of reviews Cindy Pham. Now stepping into her author era, she’s here to talk about it all: what’s on her TBR, why she’s drawn to messy, flawed characters, and how years of reviewing books have shaped the way she writes her own.

Cindy also shares the story behind her debut novel, The Secret World of Briar Rose, from first drafting it as a teenager to returning years later with a completely new perspective and a fully developed frontal lobe. Plus, we get into reality TV deep dives, bookish trends she’s loving and side-eyeing, and the hilarious promise of a future rant video about her own main character, because no one is safe, not even her.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham

That Asian Girl Is a Problem by Rachel Phan

Just Between Us by Adeline Kon

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

Book Lovers by Emilty Henry

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

The River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

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This week, we’re back with Emma Brodie, whose second novel, Into The Blue, is April’s Reese’s Book Club Pick - and Emma and Danielle are going down aaaaall the rabbit holes. From what makes a good fandom, to how improv comedy is, in fact, inherently sexy, to the BTS secrets of filming reality TV, their convo is just as lush as Emma’s decade-spanning, sci-fi tinged, “will they, won’t they” romance.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

Hitmakers by Derrick Thompson

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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This week, Danielle is chatting with Veronica Roth, who’s fresh off a major announcement: Divergent. Is. Back. The original trilogy has sold over 35 million copies since it debuted 15 years ago. Veronica has been publishing countless novels and short stories ever since, but now she’s ready to revisit the Divergent universe — with a new twist. “The Sixth Faction” is an alternate universe retelling that dares to ask: what if Tris never left Abnegation, and joined Dauntless? Danielle and Veronica talk about hot tubs, dystopian fiction, and learning to love your own work in all its imperfections. And don’t worry — Tris and Four will still have a meet-cute.

Books Mentioned:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth

Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

1984 by George Orwell

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

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