The Jolly Reader

In this episode, we finish Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus, covering Chapters 15–29 (Pages 117–237). Brynn continues investigating the murder of her former teacher, Mr. Larkin, as new evidence and long-buried secrets begin surfacing around Saint Ambrose School. As Brynn and Tripp uncover a disturbing new discovery, unexpected opportunities and deeply hidden family truths begin changing everything they thought they knew about the case.

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Nothing More to Tell

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In this episode, I sit down with Randi Smith to discuss her debut YA novel Ada Holloway's Had Enough.

The story follows high school senior Ada Holloway after a book she needs for a final essay is suddenly banned by her town’s mayor. Frustrated by censorship and tired of staying quiet, Ada starts a secret banned book club with her friends and cousin, forcing her to question the rules she has always followed and figure out who she wants to be when things actually matter.

We also discuss libraries, censorship, difficult conversations between generations, an...

In this episode of The Jolly Reader Podcast, we’re starting Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus, covering Part 1: Chapters 1–14 (pages 1–116).

Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School after her favorite teacher, Mr. Larkin, was murdered—and her best friend, Tripp Talbot, became one of the students at the center of the investigation. The case was never fully solved, and the questions never really went away.

Now Brynn is back, determined to land the perfect true crime story for her dream journalism career, and reopening old wounds might be the only way to uncov...

In this episode of The Jolly Reader Podcast, we’re wrapping up Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, covering Part 3: Chapters 21–29 (pages 218–324).

The mystery surrounding January’s disappearance finally reaches its breaking point as Flynn gets closer than ever to the truth. Every secret, accusation, and half-truth from the earlier sections starts crashing together, forcing Flynn to confront what really happened, and what he may have missed all along.

Will we finally learn what happened to January, or will this story leave us questioning everything right up to the last page? The theories are peaking, the pres...

We continue Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, covering Chapters 10–20 (pages 99–217).

January is still missing, the investigation is heating up, and Flynn is quickly learning that the story everyone thinks they know about his relationship might not match reality. As police questions intensify and the town’s suspicions grow louder, new details begin to surface, details that make January’s life look far more complicated than it first appeared.

This episode also includes discussion of sexual assault and consent. If you or someone you know needs support, confidential help is available through the RAINN National Sexual A...

We are starting the book Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, covering Chapters 1–9 pages 1-98.

When Flynn’s girlfriend January disappears without a trace, he becomes one the last person to see her alive, and immediately the spotlight turns on him. The police have questions. The town has opinions. And the cracks in Flynn and January’s relationship start looking a lot deeper than anyone realized.

As suspicion builds and secrets begin surfacing, we unpack the pressure Flynn is under, what this opening section reveals about their relationship, and the uncomfortable realization that the truth might...

The road trip officially goes off the rails.

In this episode, we finish Five Survive by Holly Jackson, covering chapters 31–40 (pages 264–386). Someone is kicked out of the RV, shots are fired, and it becomes clear that the most dangerous threats may not be outside at all. The title of this book is starting to feel a lot less metaphorical.

📚 Grab the book here:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

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We’re back in the RV with even more tension, more secrets, and yes, still six people… for now. In part two of Five Survive by Holly Jackson, we’re covering chapters 17–30 (pages 128–263), and the paranoia is getting real. Allegiances are shifting, trust is evaporating, and the group's “plan” is basically, panic and yell.

Is anyone telling the truth? Who’s really being targeted? And how are there still six people alive?

📚 Grab the book here:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to...

🎙️ Author Interview: Katie Bernet | Beth Is Dead

Little Women reimagined in this twisty, emotional thriller about sisterhood, secrets, and murder....

In this special interview episode of The Jolly Reader, I sit down with debut author Katie Bernet to talk all things Beth Is Dead, the inaugural release from Sarah Barley Books, hitting shelves on January 6, 2026.

We dive into how Katie reimagined Little Women as a modern YA murder mystery, what drew her to the March sisters, and how she brought each character to life in a world of true crime obsession, family secrets, and o...

We’re kicking off Five Survive by Holly Jackson, and things are already going off the rails. In this episode, I break down chapters 1-16 (pages 1–127), where six friends on a spring break road trip find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere… with a flat tire, no signal, and a lurking sense that this was no accident.

📚 Grab the book here:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you!

🎧 If you need a good laugh or just want to hang o...

Seven Dirty Secrets – Part Three: Chapters 21–31 (Pages 210–313)

Alright crew… it’s the final stretch, and the chaos is peaking.

In this episode, we’re tackling the last section of Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards and everything we thought we knew is getting turned upside down. Secrets are exploding into the open, trust is completely shattered, and the danger hits way too close. We even get what I can only describe as an accusing people pizza party, before it all circles back to where it began for a dramatic and dangerous finale.

💜 If you or someon...

Part 2: Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards (Chapters 10-20 / Pages 98–209)

In this episode, we dive into the second half of Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards, and let’s just say: the paranoia is rising, the clues are coming in fast, and the trust levels are at an all-time low. We’re unraveling more of the scavenger hunt , trying to figure out who’s behind it all, and questioning everyone’s motives, yes even the ones we thought were safe.

💜 If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse:

Please call...

Part 1: Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards (Chapters 1–9 / Pages 1–97)

In this episode, we dive into the opening chapters of Seven Dirty Secrets, where a mysterious scavenger hunt kicks off a tense and twisty birthday like no other. With cryptic clues and dangerous secrets waiting to be unearthed, the suspense builds fast… and no one feels safe.

I highly encourage you to read this book. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Dirty-Secrets-Natalie-Richards/dp/1728215781

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Proliffic.com. Where you can find a new writing prompt everyday...

Part 3: This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore (Pages 204–312)

In this episode, we dive into the heart-pounding final chapters of This Is Why We Lie! Secrets come to a head as we finally discover who didn’t make it out of the second “incident” down at the harbor, and the truth about the mysterious blonde girl who keeps appearing in every photo.

After two murders, the tension rises even higher. Could there be yet another victim before it all ends?

Join me as I break down the shocking twists, big reveals, and what it...

The mystery deepens in Part 2 of This Is Why We Lie! In this episode, we unravel the secrets hidden beneath the surface of both Preston Prep and Rookwood Reform School. As the investigation into Colleen's death intensifies, lies start to crack and the truth is messier than anyone expected.

Join me as I break down pages 101–203, diving into shocking twists, shady alibis, and the characters who just can't seem to tell the truth. Is anyone really innocent?

Grab your copy, follow along, and get ready to suspect everyone. 🕵️‍♀️💥 You can find it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ftpdFqb<...

In this episode, we dive into the first 100 pages of This is Why We Lie by Gabriella LePore! Meet Jenna, the ambitious student journalist from Preston Prep, and Adam, a student at the nearby correctional school, Rookwood. As a mysterious death rocks their coastal town, secrets begin to bubble beneath the surface.

I highly encourage you to read this book. You can find it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ftpdFqb

This episode's sponsor is Mindful Meowers!

Get your discount at mindfulmeowers.com/jolly 

If y...

It's the third and final video covering the book You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M McManus. Mateo, Ivy, and Cal finally discover who is behind the death of their classmate Boney. The mystery is solved but will there be a happy ending for this trio....not quite.

I highly encourage you to read You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus yourself. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Be-Death-Karen-McManus/dp/0593175867

If you need a good laugh you can find me...

So much is happening in You'll Be the Death of Me Part 2!

Mateo and Ivy are on a relationship rollercoaster. They find a mysterious note to Ms. Jameson signed by an unknown person going by D.

The biggest question for this section is how everyone is connected???

I highly encourage you to read You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus yourself. You can find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Be-Death-Karen-McManus/dp/0593175867

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

...

In this Karen M. McManus mystery Ivy, Mateo, and Cal decide to take a Ferris Bueller's Day Off when they discover the body of one of their classmates in an abandoned apartment building. There are plenty of mysteries to be solved in part one of this story including but not limited to, who is Cal's secret girlfriend and why is she most definitely a suspect in the murder?

Sorry for the technical difficulties this episode but I promise the next video will be back to normal!

I highly encourage...

We made it!! Finally we are finishing the series A Good Girls Guide to Murder with Part 3 of As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson.

Does Pip get away with it or will she and her friends spend the rest of their days either living in fear or in jail?

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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If you want to support The Jolly Reader you can donate, which...

I had the honor of interviewing the author James Michels. We discuss all sorts of fun book things, like what inspired him to become a writer in the first place and you'll never guess what book he is currently reading.

Join my Patreon for a chance to win a copy of The Ballad of Johnny Carlo signed by the author himself James Michels!

https://www.patreon.com/thejollyreader

You can find all of James' books on his website: https://jamesmichelsbooks.com/

You can also follow him on social media.

...

It's Part 2 of As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson and we find out who the DT Killer is!

We still have 1/3 of the book left too. I was surprisingly frustrated with this section but it made for a good episode. I hope you all enjoy it.

I started a Patreon with even more content!

https://www.patreon.com/thejollyreader

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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We made it to As Good As Dead the finale to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Series by Holly Jackson!

Pip is back at it but this time she has to save herself in order to save herself. She is struggling with some major PTSD from the events of the last book and now she has a stalker of her very own she needs to find.

I am very excited to be finishing up with series with my amazing crew!

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social...

It's the big finale of Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson!

We find out what happened to Jamie and it is absolutely not what you think.

Pip saves the day...kind of because someone doesn't make it out alive!

Check out book two for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3U2lCMu

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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Things are heating up in the second part of Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. Jamie is still missing and we seem to be getting more questions than answers.

What was the knife for?

Who is Layla Mead?

and of course WHERE THE HECK IS JAMIE?!?

Check out book two for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3U2lCMu

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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Let's get into the sequel to a good girl's guide to murder.

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Jaime Reynolds is missing and the police aren't interested in investigating the disappearance of this 24 year old. Pip and her now boyfriend, Ravi, are on the case. Could this have anything to do with the 6 year anniversary of Sal and Andi's deaths?

Check out book two for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3U2lCMu

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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Pip finally solves the mystery of the murder of Sal and what really happened to Andi in Part III of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.

The real question is how many people were involved in these crimes...1? 2? maybe even the whole suspect list.

I highly recommend this book.

https://amzn.to/3xhGBkD

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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If you...

Part II of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is Crazzzzy!

Pip finds more lies, threats and a topless photo! Lots I mean lots of information is in this episode. You aren't going to want to miss it.

I highly recommend this book.

https://amzn.to/3xhGBkD

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

If you want to support The Jolly Reader...

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Five years ago Andie Bell went missing and her boyfriend Sal is the main suspect after he committed suicide a few days after her disappearance. Now Pippa is determine to prove that Sal was innocent by using her senior project as an excuse to investigate the case.

I highly recommend this book.

https://amzn.to/3xhGBkD

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

Captain Book and her 1st Mate cover 3 Edgar Allan Poe short stories in this Halloween episode!

I hope they spook you like Edgar Allan Poe intended and I hope you laugh like Josh and I intended.

There is a lot of discussion about mental health throughout. Here is the resource mentioned in the episode.

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

o  1-800-662-HELP

o  1-800-662-4357

You can read...

Since it is almost Halloween it is going to be a throwback to the 1994 book Goosebumps: One Day At HorrorLand by R.L. Stine

The Morris family gets lost and ends up at the amusement park HorrorLand. Will one of these rides be their last?

Read it for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3BcGacz

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

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If you are ready for another sassy episode I got you covered. We finish up the book The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson, and you literally won't be able to guess the ending. Like it is straight out of left field with no hints leading up to it. Color me disappointed but it does make for a funny episode.

Read this if you dare.

https://amzn.to/3d5Tmry

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www...

This episode might be short but I promise you someone dies! That is the best part of this section and it gets us one step closer to finishing the book.

Part II covers the very dragged out middle section of The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson.

Read this if you dare.

https://amzn.to/3d5Tmry

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

www.instagram.com/thejollyreaderpodcast/

www.facebook.com/thejollyreaderpodcast

...

She's Back!!!!

In The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson, Stevie is back (I am not sure if that is a good thing) to investigate a quadruple murder that happened at a summer camp in the 1970s.

This book really gets to the murder fast and it is not an episode you are going to want to miss.

Read this if you dare.

https://amzn.to/3d5Tmry

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok.com/@thejollyreaderpodcast

Buckle your seatbelts because there is not one but two twist endings in One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus!

Did you figure out who Darkestmind and Bayview2020 are? Even if you think you solved the mystery I promise you want to stick around for the very end!

This was a great read and I highly suggest my crew to check it out for themselves.

Read it for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3eCP9Ml

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:<...

In Episode II covering One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus, it is revealed who didn't survive the game of Truth or Dare.

Additionally, we get a very awkward truth and some romance...the biggest of who cares.

Next time we will be finishing up this book and hopefully have all our questions answered!

Until we sail again.

Read it for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3eCP9Ml

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

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Captain Book is back covering the first part of One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus!

The sequel to One of Us is Lying is coming in hot with a risky game of truth or dare, and the puppet master is an unknown texter.

So far two dares and a truth have been taken and Maeve is up next....Tick Tock

Read it for yourself!

https://amzn.to/3eCP9Ml

If you need a good laugh you can find me on social media:

www.tiktok...

Bonus Episode Alert with Captain Book and The First Mate!

We cover 4 short stories from the book Crime & Mystery Short Stories.

The first story The Cost of Security by Tara Campbell starts with as a husband's murder plot to have his wife ended, and ends with a turntable twist.

The second story Skitter and Click by Jennifer Dornan-Fish will have you questioning everything. This was a hard read about little boy who was murdered but the twist bone chilling ending almost makes it worth it.

The third story Home Run by...

It's the final episode covering One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus!

There are multiple arrests, an awkward first date, and a twisted plot revealed.

This has been on of my favorite books I have covered and I hope you enjoyed it too!

The next three episodes I will be covering the sequel of this book One of Us is Next.

Until we sail again, this has been The Jolly Reader.

Go read this book!

https://amzn.to/3QwYCSM

If you need a...

Welcome to Part II of One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

We have several things to look forward to including but limited to...

a breakup, two important makeouts, more tumbler posts, and Cooper's real secret!

This episode brings us closer to finding out what truly happened to Simon, but one thing is for sure about the kids in detention that day...one of them is lying.

Go read this book!

https://amzn.to/3QwYCSM

If you need a good laugh you can find me...