ACOFAE: A Collection of Fandoms and Exploration.

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: "Sugar Candy Mountain, Charlie."

2026 is the year that ACOFAE is covering the classics apparently, because they mentioned Animal Farm in the beginning of the year and here we all are now covering this Orwell classic. Published in 1945, and with the subtitle "a fairy story" in the UK, Animal Farm is a short book that covers the Russian Revolution of 1917 using a farm as the setting and animals as the characters for the most part. A story that begins with passion stirring for change, an opportunity, and then the slow decent into the same situation...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Daughters of the Moon #6- The Lost One: "Everyone's lost."

ACOFAE is back in the 2000's with Daughters of the Moon #6! Six! Can you believe it?! This book starts off with a cold open on top of a cold open, and then we the reader get an outside perspective on our favorite LA goddesses. Turns out after losing their friend Catty, they got weird? Maybe they're witches? But they totally most definitely killed her. Our new lost girl, Tianna, is having one hell of a day. Memory loss on top of high-school is the...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Blood Over Bright Haven: "All. Mages."

Have you seen Rogue One? Excellent. That's the tone of Blood Over Bright Haven, a standalone that has kept ACOFAE thinking and feeling all the emotions. Ugh, so many emotions. Frustration, disbelief, and sheer audacity are some of the ones that come to mind. Sciona Freynan is determined to the the first female high mage in history and she's been single minded about that fact for years. Blind to her environment outside of study, Sciona embarks on a three month journey of discovery and creation that shatters not...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Blood like Fate: "Not all men, ALWAYS a man."

ACOFAE is back with the sequel to an earlier 2026 read, making it twice so far this year Laura Marie and Jessica Marie just needed to know what happened! Blood like Fate, the sequel to Blood like Magic, picks up 6 months after the first book ended. Voya is the matriarch and is hitting roadblocks from all angles. Her family does support her, the "community" doesn't respect her, and oh she's given a vision where witches are dying from a hacked gene! She has a lot going...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Shadowhunters: The TV Show: Christmas in July.

Long time listeners will know that ACOFAE had to cover the show at some point. Yep, Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are revisiting the FreeForm pilot episode of ShadowHunters: The Mortal Instruments. It's a lot of things, and accurate is not one of them, but it is entertaining and ACOFAE will take what they can get at this point. Jessica Marie has actually seen the pilot before she started the books, and Laura Marie is just along for the ride and finding the value in what's on...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: SPECIAL EPISODE 28: Our new friend, Lindsey Olsson!

ACOFAE welcomes DEBUT author Lindsey Olsson to the podcast to discuss (SPOILER FREE) all things To Drown A Witch! Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are delighted to report that while writing and organizing To Drown A Witch Lindsey used a "murder board'! Longtime listeners will know how exciting this is. Join ACOFAE and Lindsey as they dive into the entire process of creating the world of Gadore. Someone is killing guards with magic and that someone can only be the witch. Or so it seems. In a...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: This Wicked Fate: "Mer-Hoes."

In a rare instance of, oh my gosh we need to immediately read book 2, Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are doing just that and continuing on with poison plants in This Wicked Fate! Briseis is having a little family reunion, her auntie Circe has come back from the dead? and has a plan to reunite the Heart. Mo is depressed and catching strays, and the entire family is struggling with finding their place, their purpose, and their calling. A travel book to its core, This Wicked Fate, takes the reader...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Curse of the Golden Flower: “What I do not give, you must never take by force.”

If you have never heard of this movie, please go watch it now. If it's been a while since you've seen this movie, go rewatch it. If this genre is new to you, welcome you are in for a treat. Laura Marie shamelessly campaigned for this movie to make the pod and here we all are, ready to be immersed in a colorful and political world that requires your full attention. There are plots within plots between the Impe...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: This Posion Heart: "Unconditional love."

A girl from Brooklyn has a secret. A family from Rhinebeck, New York might have some answers. Briseis is 16 and plants love her. Really love her. So much so that it's distracting from school, friends, and internships. She just needs some room to stretch, so when a lawyer tells her she's inherited an estate in upper New York with 40 acres, Briseis and her moms go to see what's what. A story about family, This Poison Heart, takes the reader on a journey through the centuries and asks how deep...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Atmosphere: Jessica's Choice!

It's Jessica Marie's half birthday and here on ACOFAE that means that she gets to choose a piece of media to cover that maybe ACOFAE wouldn't normally cover. Her choice this year is "Atmosphere: A Love Story" by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A story about space, about women, about relationships, and about what happens when you finally accept all the parts of yourself that you've discovered along the way. Laura Marie actually chose this book out of a list of options that Jessica Marie suggested, and she has strong feelings about rule...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: SPECIAL EPISODE 27: Our new friend, Meghan Le Fay!

Always and forever ready and willing to discuss dragons, ACOFAE welcomes to the podcast a very special guest and our new friend, Meghan Le Fay, to discuss her new release Wings of Life! This is a SPOILER FREE EPISODE so dive into the world of dragons, hygiene, language, and red hair as ACOFAE and Megan discuss everything from initial inspiration to crafting the intricate religions of this new world. A fish out of water story that if rich with culture and miscommunication, Wings of Life asks...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: A Forbidden Fate: "Loopholes! Scuba gear? Garden gloves?!"

How do you get around a curse that can't be broken, has horrible consequences for the entire world, and is like, super inconvenient day to day? You look for loopholes if you are ACOFAE Laura and Jessica, or you travel though the woods with a band of merry people and old crush to your current fiancé's kingdom. The woods being full of horrifying creatures and the fiancé may or may not know what's going on. Don't forget the curse! That's where Laura Marie and Jessica Ma...

ACOFAE Podcast presents: Heated Rivalry: "All romance feels like fantasy at this point."

Shane Hollander. Ilya Rosenov. You know the names. You’ve probably seen the show, and the books are more than likely on your radar. It’s Pride so let’s let the boys have some fun as ACOFAE discusses book 2 in the Game Changer series by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry. A first for Laura Marie, (a sports romance!) Takes readers on one of the longest situationship rides ever as these two hockey players from difference countries and teams fall in love. An MM romance that i...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Dracula: "Dracula is so girly pop!"

How does ACOFAE get Jessica Marie to watch a horror film? Tell her that is has Gary Oldman and Keanu Reeves in it will do the trick! ACOFAE is covering Dracula a couple different ways: Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 classic film AND the 1897 novel itself. Did you know Dracula begins in May? Jonathan Harker is on his way to Transylvania and his life is about to change in unexpected ways. Mina, his fiancé, and her best friend, Lucy, are in England and wait for Jonathan's return. What Dracula is a...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Stormbreaker:"'The Wastes' are just Brooklyn."

You know how Jessica Marie loves a New York setting and how Laura Marie loves purple? Put those things together and add in some storms and some trauma and you've got Storm Breaker, and you've got ACOFAE'S attention. Poet Graves is 19, engaged, and ready to rebel at college, even if she doesn't know it yet. Poet has a secret and keeping it under wraps from new friends, old lovers, and new more than friends, is a huge priority. Rook is a stranger from the Wastes and he may...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Women and Media Vol. 1.

Since February 2026 in particular, Jessica Marie has been fired up to talk about the treatment of women in media and ACOFAE has not had the right moment for this discussion. The time is now. Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are discussing the relationship between women and media using the 2026 movie adaptation "Wuthering Heights" as a framework. The art of film is discussed as well as tangent conversations spanning economics, fandoms, fangirls, and of course a brief touch on Taylor Swift. ACOFAE calls this VOL 1 because the conversation is ongoing and...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: The Mummy Returns: "They’re all so hot. It’s problematic.”

The Mummy Returns, better known as The Mummy 2 or The cast that launched a thousands of kids onto the path of bisexuality. ACOFAE promised they would cover this movie and here they are lamenting at how how these actors are, how smart the kid is, and how fun history and the movies is and can be. The Mummy Returns is a movie that everyone but Jessica Marie saw when it came out, and lots of people love and and some even hate it. The CG...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: The Devil Wears Prada: The Movie: "The Hemline Effect."

Did you know that the 2006 movie,The Devil Wears Prada, is one of Jessica Marie's all time favorite movies? Did you know that Laura Marie has never seen the entire movie in one sitting? Jessica Marie didn't either. A movie that is better than the book is a rare thing but it happens here, (this is one of ACOFAE Jessica's hills to die on) and even that is saying something when the movie is filled with frustrations. Who is the true villain in this story...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Cleopatra: "They knew a baddie when they saw one."

It's easy to get your kicks in 2026 when the hyper-fixation of Laura Marie's childhood is the focus of the episode! Cleopatra by Saara El Arifi takes all of the well known highlights of the Queen's life and adds in a supernatural element that brings a complexity to a character that is known for so many things. Goddess reincarnated, Queen, mother, and lover Cleopatra wore all these titles and more during her reign as Egypt's Pharaoh. Join Laura Marie and Jessica Marie as they move through...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Pop Culture Poetry 004: Useless Magic by Florence Welch.

ACOFAE continues their Pop Culture Poetry series by covering the fae queen, Florence Welch, and her lyrics and poetry. Laura Marie and Jessica Marie couldn't resist the physical copy of this book, so this episode is filled with poetry recitations, lore drops, and the rustling of pages as ACOFAE flips through to find their five favorite selections. If you're a fan of Florence and maybe especially if you aren't, Useless Magic shows us all how important words can be.

TW / CW: domestic abuse
...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Kill Bill vol.1: "Iconic."

Female rage is always something that ACOFAE is looking for, and in 2026 it felt like the time to dig into the 2025 archives (hear the old intro!) and pull out Kill Bill, Vol 1. A movie that Jessica Marie had never seen and Laura Marie had seen a million times, ACOFAE dives into the beauty of filmmaking and the power of women. The Bride has been wronged and is out for revenge. Throw in amazing fight scenes and music, and add in a bit of Samurai culture, and you've got Uma Thurman...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: 1984: "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."

ACOFAE doubles down with fatherly feelings as they dive into 1984 in memory of Jessica's loss. Honoring family in her own special way, Jessica Marie explores 1984 for the first time along with Laura Marie who has read the book several times over the years. Winston lives in Air Strip One, formally London, and is unsettled. He has feelings of discontent and that cannot be tolerated. A world that is filled with double speak, Big Brother, and the perpetual state of War Winston finds himself seeking out...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Star Trek '09: "Since childhood."

March is a tough time for ACOFAE, so while we're all trying to find our kicks in 2026 Laura Marie has chosen to remember the good times and introduce Jessica Marie to a family favorite: Star Trek. We're starting easy with the Chris Pine movie that Laura Marie saw in the theater with her dad, and contains a cast that rivals them all and is well known to Jessica Marie. James T. Kirk is a character Chris Pine plays to perfection and Jessica Marie's joy at how funny the film...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: V for Vendetta: "It had to be now."

Who knew that ACOFAE would be political this year?! Laura Marie and Jessica Marie had an inkling so they figured it's best to cover anything that may have slipped through the cracks growing up. Even if you've never seen the movie, you know the mask. You know Natalie Portman shaved her head. Join ACOFAE and find out why.

PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF THEIR GOVERMENTS.

TW / CW: none to our awareness
For additional TW/CW information for your future reads...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Lady Tan's Circle of Women, with friend of show Aris!

ACOFAE welcomes back to the podcast friend of show, Aris, to discuss Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. Celebrating International Women's Day (and month), Aris got to choose the book for this episode and what a choice she made! Laura Marie, Jessica Marie, and Aris are discussing all things plot related, with a focus on the friendships between the main character and the people in her orbit. Tan Yunxian is a female doctor in 15th century China and her story is one...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy! with author Misty Heggeness

It's 2026 and ACOFAE refuses to limit themselves to just one thing! As Laura Marie and Jessica Marie continue to get their kicks wherever they can find them, they are brought to one of Jessica Marie's favorite subject: Economics. How to tackle this subject that has a reputation of being for and about men? Taylor Swift of course, with Economist and author, Misty Heggeness. Join ACOFAE and Misty as they discuss pop culture and it's importance to economics and to women and the...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: The Raven Scholar: "Everything is important!"

When was the last time you were able to really sink your teeth into a fantasy? When was the last time you were really and truly surprised by a plot twist? Be honest. It may have been a while. The Raven Scholar is something that you can really sit with and reread. Laura Marie reread it 4x for this episode! Welcome to a fantasy that is enriched by the audio experience, that has footnotes, and contains a plot that is so expansive and detailed that even after 4x...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Mockingjay Part 1 - The movie: "Everything old can be new again...like democracy."

Remember when watching this movie was a form of escapism? Remember when the concept of the Hunger Games was horrifying and parents were up in arms? Remember all that? Good. Watch it again. ACOFAE is continuing the watch of The Hunger Games series with the third movie, Mockingjay: Part 1. Filled with a cast that is beyond talented, Katniss is struggling with her new life in District 13, after she was rescued from the Games. Peeta is a hostage of the Capital, and...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: SPECIAL EPISODE 25: Our new friend, A. T. Qureshi!

ACOFAE welcomes award-winning and USA Today, Times, and Amazon bestselling author A.T. Qureshi to the podcast to chat about all things Starshine Valley! A.T., Jessica Marie, and Laura Marie are focusing on book three in the series; Baby Dragon Bookshop, but the interconnectedness of all of the books in the series is discussed as well as the organization and writing process of all three! Each book is set in a season and it's delightful to read a Baby Dragon Bookshop in the middle of...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Bitten: “Never date a guy who’s like your father.”

ACOFAE realized that it's National Werewolf Day this week and figured, why not?! Why not throw it back to one of Laura Marie's very first werewolf books, very first thrifted book, and first book where everyone is 30+. That's right, everyone here in Kelly Armstrong's Bitten is over 30 and loves being a werewolf. Elena had to come around to it, but she also loves being a werewolf. It's the pack, and her ex fiancé, that are the issue. Instincts are hard to fight though and Elena i...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: SPECIAL EPISODE 24: Our new friend Rachel Van Dyken!

ACOFAE welcomes to the podcast #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken to discuss her latest release Fallen Gods! A story that is close to the author's heart, _Fallen Gods _is a twist on classic Norse mythology that finds Rey as the daughter of Odin and Odin has an agenda - Mjölnir is missing and only Rey can wield it. Where Mjölnir is hidden remains a mystery that Rey has one week to crack or else. Nothing can be easy for Rey though, as...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Blood Like Magic: “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”

Do you find it easy to make choices? Do you make the decision in the moment or try to buy time? Voya struggles with making choices for herself and everyone in her extended family knows. Even her ancestors know it, and that is important because Voya is a witch, or almost a witch. She's 16 and part of a community of witches that use blood and intent to perform magic, and it's Voya's turn to meet her ancestor and make a choice. However, when the...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Arrow of Fortune: “More men need to be brought to their knees by the feminine”

Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are back with new old friends with book 3 of the Raiders of the Arcana series, Arrow of Fortune. Medium time listeners will know that Laura Marie and Jessica Marie have been devouring this series and loving every second of it ever since the ads started to really work for Laura Marie and this came on her radar. The gang is all back together and off to India as Adam, Ellie, Neil, and Constance engage in a...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Heavenly Tyrant: "Seven months to save the world."

Happy New Year! ACOFAE is thrilled that you've joined us for 2026! Could there be a better way to set the tone and kick off 2026 than with Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao?! Picking up almost right where ACOFAE left off in book 1, Heavenly Tyrant reunites readers with Zetian and all of her wild decisions as the government has been destroyed and someone has to pick up the pieces. Qin Zheng was that man before, can he be that man again? A book filled with politics, schemes...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Crossroads: "The legendary Ms. Britney Spears."

It's hard to describe just how famous Britney Spears was in the early 2000s. Before social media, fame was a different machine and nowhere is that more clear than in Crossroads. Filled with everything ACOFAE loves, Crossroads is especially great at showing female friendships throughout the ups and downs of growing up. Yearning for a third place, Crossroads finds three friends going on a roadtrip to audition for a record label. A time, a place, a vibe. Along the way are shenanigans that bond and little side quests...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: House of Earth and Blood- Revisited! "Let's do something with this potential!"

Happy Fifth Birthday, ACOFAE! FIVE YEARS! Can you believe it!? Laura Marie and Jessica Marie thought there was no better way to celebrate this anniversary than by reexamining the book that started the pod -- literally. House of Earth and Blood is a force. She's thick, she's complicated, and she's one of the loves of ACOFAE's lives. A story that is many things, but in this book the story is about friendship. Danika and Bryce. There's so much so say. Laura Marie...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Shadowhunters: Better in Black: "Back with old friends."

Longtime listeners will know that December is when Laura Marie and Jessica Marie cover Shadowhunters as their own Yuletide tradition for the pod. Not breaking the tradition, this year ACOFAE is reading Better in Black -- a kickstarter book that got traditionally published. Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are bitches who love Easter Eggs and this book delivers. Featuring an on air live connection made by Jessica Marie, Better in Black is a collection of 10 love stories that feature tried and true couples with a sprinkling...

ACOFAE Podcast Proudly Presents: Showgirls x The Life of a Showgirl: "Men are usually the villain."

If you've been a long time listener then you know that getting the movie Showgirls on the pod is a WIN for Laura Marie. Pairing it with a discussion about Taylor Swift's new album release, The Life of a Showgirl, is a match made in heaven for Jessica Marie! This being Jessica Marie's very first NC-17 film is a win for everyone and ACOFAE has so much to say. Kicking off the discussion with a full breakdown of the movie Showgirls...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: SPECIAL EPISODE 23: Our new friend, Charlie N. Holmberg!

ACOFAE welcomes Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author, Charlie N. Holmberg, to the podcast to discuss her newest release,_ The Shattered King_! A book that may or may not have been a fever dream to the author, The Shattered King takes the reader on a journey of healing and self discovery. Nym has her siblings to take care of, and with her brother conscripted to the army she does NOT have time to try and heal the sick Prince in the castle. Renn is...

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Thankful 2025: Cons, Ali Hazelwood, and murder mysteries!

ACOFAE is Thankful. Thankful for surviving (so far!), thankful for exploring, and thankful for finding bits and pieces of joy no matter where they were hiding out. This year Laura Marie and Jessica Marie are incredibly thankful for YOU the listeners, who are the reason why the pod is a pod! ACOFAE is also extremely thankful for Ali Hazelwood and all of her hard work. Jessica Marie is effusive in her praise and excited for what's to come! Conventions and the fandom life take centerstage as ACOFAE...