Always Booked

ACOTAR 6 is coming and you don't have time to read all of ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City...don't worry! We've got you covered!

ACOTAR 6 prep starts here. We're breaking down EVERYTHING you need to know before A Court of Splintered Harmony from across the entire Sarah J. Maas universe. We're talking every character, every detail, every forgotten plot thread, and crossover connection from ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City.

If you don't have time to reread before ACOTAR 6, this is for you!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- The complete...

We Found Your Next Feminist Witch Book: A Time of Witches.We sat down with the author Madeline Martin to talk about her brand new novel A Time of Witches, a dual-timeline story following an educated widow accused of witchcraft in 1645 Suffolk and a present-day woman in Savannah uncovering her legacy. In this interview we chat about:- Why Madeline wanted to write a witch trial story centered on women's experiences- Writing women who refuse to be silenced- The research behind 17th century witch trials vs. modern parallels- Her writing process and what she hopes readers take from the...

AI has infiltrated everything and the book space is no exception, but should you care? In this episode, we're digging into what AI really means for readers. We're talking AI written books, AI's impact on publishing, and the current literary crisis. This isn't a doom episode but it is an important conversation we think all readers should behaving. In this episode:- What AI written books actually look like right now- AI and its impact on your brain- Using books to train AI - Destroying books - Our take on AI in the book space 📲 Follow us on Instagram → / alway...

A Court of Silver Flames recap is here! This is everything you need to remember before ACOTAR 6 from ACOSF.

Nesta's story, the Blood Rite, the Valkyries, Koschei, and every plot thread that matters heading into A Court of Splintered Harmony.

If it's been a while since you finished ACOSF (or you just want a spoiler-heavy refresher before the new book), this is the full recap.

We're covering:

- Nesta's arc

- Things to keep in mind for ACOTAR 6

- The Valkyries, Emerie, and Gwyn: the alliances that...

🚨 EMERGENCY POD: A Court of Splintered Harmony & A Court of Forgotten Melody — ACOTAR 6 & 7 Titles + Covers Are Here 🚨

SJM dropped the titles, covers, AND blurbs for ACOTAR 6 (A Court of Splintered Harmony) and ACOTAR 7 (A Court of Forgotten Melody) and we could NOT wait to talk about it.

Consider this your deep dive theory guide for both books.We're breaking down every detail: the covers, the titles, the blurbs, and what it all means for where this series is headed. I

f you're a Court of Thorns and Roses fan, this is the reaction video yo...

New to romantasy and don't know where to start? We've got you. 

We’re talking our go-to fantasy romance recommendations for anyone looking to dive into the genre. These are great stories to start with that aren’t too intense but have plenty to love! Whether you're romance-curious or fantasy-curious this is the start pack for you! 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

Everyone calls A Court of Frost and Starlight the boring book. The filler. The holiday special story. We are here to FIGHT about that. ACOFAS is where SJM plants the seeds for everything the rest of the series has to deliver, and we think everyone sleeping on ACOFAS is missing the point.In this reread, we're defending the "boring" book with receipts: the details dressed up as filler that are actually setup, the character moments everyone wrote off as cozy, and our theories for what ACOTAR 6 has been building toward. This is your sign to stop skipping it! Spoilers...

We're doing our mid-year reading check in! We're breaking down our top pick for every month so far, our top 3 reads of 2026, and the books we genuinely think you should skip.

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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is finally here and we read the book first. In this episode, we're breaking down Homer's epic, rate the film, and give our honest verdict on whether Nolan did the source material justice.We cover everything: our take on the original text, what the film gets right (and wrong), and how it holds up as a book-to-movie adaptation. Spoilers for both.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

The word "smut" didn't start as an insult to women's sexuality. It was made into one and we don't it was an accident. In this episode, we dig into the real history of the word "smut." Where it came from, how it got weaponized, and why culture specifically uses it to dismiss and belittle what women read. From book culture to broader society, we get into why this label exists and who it's really designed to silence.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

The Remarkably Bright Creatures Netflix movie is here and we have THOUGHTS. We read this book and fell in love with Marcellus, Tova, and every emotional gut punch Shelby Van Pelt packed in. So did Netflix do it justice? Spoiler: the book was better. Here's exactly why.In this episode we break down everything Netflix changed, what the adaptation got right, what it got wrong, and whether Marcellus got the screen time he deserved.⚠️ FULL SPOILERS for both the book and the movie.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

Whether you've fallen out of your reading, never quite found your book, or just need someone to hand you the right one, this is that episode. We curated picks across genres, moods, and reading vibes to give you books to get you (back) into reading.

Don't know where to start? We've got you.

📚 In this episode:

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Blood Over Bright by Haven ML Wang 

Just Kids by Patti Smith 

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

The Invisi...

SJM planned this from the beginning! In this episode, we break down A Court of Wings and Ruin with fresh eyes, hunting every detail, foreshadow, and planted clue that points directly to ACOTAR 6. If you're doing your reread prep before Book 6 drops, this is required listening.We're covering the moments that hit differently on reread, the character threads we think are going to explode in Book 6, and the details the fandom has been sleeping on. Spoilers for the full ACOTAR series ahead.📖 In this episode:

We sat down with Emma Brodie, the author behind Into the Blue, the book readers cannot stop talking about...including us.

Into the Blue is a decades-spanning love story about AJ Graves and Noah Drew. They're two people connected by a deep friendship, the world of acting, improv comedy, and sci-fi fandom, and a beautiful cosmic connection.

We had SO MUCH FUN talking with Emma.

We talk characters, the world she built around acting and fandom, fanfics, and so much more.

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We've read the ACOTAR series more times than we care to say, and some scenes simply live rent free in our heads forever. On this week's pod episode we're counting down our top 10 favorite scenes from the ACOTAR series.

🌹 Did your favorite make the list? Let us know in the comments!

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Romantasy books are all the rage right now. BUT are they really that different than fantasy books? Do those differences make one better than the other? Let's talk about it! In this episode: romantasy and fantasy genres defined, the patriarchy, marketing to women, what makes a book good?Books Discussed: - Mistborn - Lord of the Rings - ACOTAR Series - Game of Thrones - Alchemy of Secrets CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

We reread A Court of Mist and Fury and we fell in love all over again. ACOMAF is THE book that changes everything in the ACOTAR series and with ACOTAR 6 coming in October, we needed a refresher on every detail we forgot (and every thing we clearly missed the first time around).From Rhysand to Velaris to the moments that had us kicking our feet, we cover it all.In this episode:- Our reread reactions in real time- What we completely missed the first time- The foreshadowing that hits DIFFERENT on a reread- Our updated ACOTAR 6 theories and...

We read Yesteryear and we have THOUGHTS. The book everyone's calling "the most talked-about novel of 2026"? We get it. And we also have some problems with it. Natalie's tradwife life looks perfect on the outside...the farmhouse, the kids, the sourdough, the aesthetic Instagram grid. But behind the camera? A turkey baster. A marriage that's barely there. Nannies raising the kids she pretends to mother. Nothing about this life is real and we need to talk about why that makes this book so unsettling and so impossible to put down.In this episode: our review, the moments that made...

We're ranking the women of Sarah J. Maas books. From Feyre Archeron to Bryce Quinlan we're getting into it...and things get heated! 🔥Characters We Rank:Feyre Archeron (ACOTAR)Nesta Archeron (ACOTAR)Elaine Archeron (ACOTAR)Aelin Galathynius (TOG)Morrigan (ACOTAR)Yrene Towers (TOG)Lysandra (TOG)Bryce Quinlan (CC)Lidia Cervos (CC) Manon Blackbeak (TOG)Fanart by https://madschofield.comSubscribe for more deep dives on fantasy books, romantasy reviews, and honest book discussions from three friends who feel way too much about books!CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

Is Daggermouth the most overhyped book of the year?

Listen to this week's episode of the pod to hear our full review on this booktok sensation. SPOILERS ahead.

For those that loved this book...you might want to skip this episode

We are rereading ACOTAR before Book 6, and we are spiraling. There are things in this book we completely missed the first time and now we can't stop thinking about them. We are reading through the entire A Court of Thorns and Roses series together before ACOTAR 6 drops. SJM was giving us breadcrumbs this entire time. We're getting into the theories, the foreshadowing, the easter eggs, and all the feelings we apparently repressed the first time around. This is your sign to reread with us. In this episode: First impressions vs. reread impressions

The details SJM planted that...

The Sunrise on the Reaping trailer is here and we are NOT okay. On today's episode of the Always Booked podcast we're breaking down every second of it. We read the book, and we know exactly what's coming. In this episode we're covering the 5 scenes we're absolutely terrified to see on screen, what we think the movie will change from the book, and the moments we're actually really looking forward to. We've been waiting for this Hunger Games adaptation since the book dropped, and now that the trailer is out we feel ill.

Topics covered:- Full...

Books that feel like falling in love… we’re not talking about just romance. We’re talking about the butterflies, the tension, the slow burn, the moment it clicks.

In this episode of the Always Booked podcast, we’re sharing our favorite book recommendations that feel like falling in love. We’re talking fan-favorite reads like A River Enchanted and A Court of Mist and Fury, plus more books across romantasy, fantasy, and emotional fiction that capture that feeling.

📖 In this episode:
- Our favorite books that feel like falling in love
- What gives a...

Did Oprah's latest Book Club pick actually deliver? We read Kin by Tayari Jones and we have a LOT to say. We're talking the writing, the characters, the themes of family and belonging and the ultimate question: can we trust Oprah? 📖 In this episode:- Our first reactions to Kin by Tayari Jones- The characters we loved (and the ones we didn't)- Does Oprah's Book Club still deliver in 2026?- Our final ratingsWhether you've already read it, you're thinking about picking it up, or you just want to know if the Oprah stamp of approval means anything this epi...

We've have 10 nonfiction book recs for you and a lot of opinions on why you should read them. These aren't your dry, assigned-reading picks. These are the books we genuinely couldn't stop talking about, and now we're passing them to you.

Book we're talking about:

Project Hail Mary is finally a movie! In this episode of Always Booked Podcast, we're doing a full Project Hail Mary book vs movie review, covering everything from what the adaptation gets right to what we wish they'd kept from Andy Weir's original novel.

We talk about Ryan Gosling's performance as Ryland Grace, the portrayal of Rocky, and whether this movie lives up to the book that made us all fall in love with humanity.

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD for both the book and the movie.

📖 What we cover:

Ou...

We have one rule this episode: the dedication better be worth it. 📖 We're reading book dedications, judging them, and deciding if we'll read the book. 📚 Books we discuss:The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. SchwabAtmosphere – Taylor Jenkins ReidThe Atlas Paradox – Olivie BlakeA Fate Inked in Blood – Danielle L. JensenThe Second Death of Locke – V.L. BoyadjioAnd more...Whether you've read these or they're on your TBR, this episode will make you look at books very differently. 🔗 Find us everywhere:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/always.bookd🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@.always.booked💬 Website: alwaysbooked.net

We each picked a book for each other. No say in the matter, no backing out. Then we had to read it and give our honest review. 😅Did anyone actually love their assigned book? Did our friendship survive? You will see! 📚 BOOKS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:• The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami – picked by Dani• YellowFace by R.F. Kuang – picked by Olivia• My Antonia by Willa Cather – picked by Emily🔔 Subscribe for more book discussions every week!FOLLOW US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → @always.bookd🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

In this episode we put our book knowledge to the test with a bookish version of Headbands. Each of us has a mystery book or character on our forehead and has to guess who or what it is.Play along with us and see if you can guess the books faster than we can. If you love series like Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, and Twilight, this challenge is for you

Today on the podcast, we are diving deep into The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow, a story about a girl who becomes a legend, a boy who tries to save her, and the history that erased them both.We break down the stunning prose, the time-loop romance that wrecked us, and exactly what convinced two of us that this book is actually a masterpiece. Get Booked! 📲 Follow us on Instagram → @always.bookd🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

n this episode we head to the moors to discuss Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece, Wuthering Heights. We are breaking down the classic novel and comparing it to the movie adaptation to see which version captures the haunting, chaotic energy best.We dive deep into the complicated relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff, the gothic romance vibes, and why this story has ruined lives for generations. Whether you're here for the literary fiction analysis or just want to hear us debate the "book vs movie" differences, get ready for a wild ride.In this episode, we also discuss:The Book : Why...

What if the reason you’re friends with someone… is your shared love of books?

In this episode, we’re sharing the specific books that shaped our friendship and why shared stories create deeper connection than almost anything else (besides a witch hunt). From bonding over favorite characters, to crying over art imitating life, these reads are core memories for our friendship.

If you love book clubs, reading communities, and friendship this one’s for you.

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📚 Join our book club!

We’re diving into Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, a powerful and unsettling novel that completely reframes the true crime genre.Instead of centering violence or the man behind it, this story focuses on the women, the aftermath, and the long shadow trauma leaves behind. We talk about grief, fear, age, and why telling stories this way matters. This book pissed us off and we absolutely loved it. If this book shook you or made you rethink crime, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about it.📲 Follow us on Instagram → @always.bookd🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

Finished the Sarah J Maas universe and now nothing hits the same? Yea, we get it. You're in a Sarah J Maas reading hangover. Don't worry. We've all been there. We are here to share exactly what to read after Sarah J Maas and how to cure uour reading hangover with fantasy and romantasy books that actually are so good. We're breaking down why books like Fourth Wing, The Will of the Many, Mistborn, and more work so well as post ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City reads.If you are searching for what to read next after...

Does Rachel Gillig’s new standalone live up to the hype of One Dark Window? Today on the Always Booked Podcast, we are stepping into the atmospheric world of The Knight and the Moth.

In this episode, we dive deep into Rachel Gillig’s latest gothic romance. We’re breaking down the prose that makes her writing so addictive, asking the questions we wish we could ask the author, and debating the big question: How does this compare to The Shepherd King duology?
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💬 LET'S...

We’re sharing 10 books that genuinely changed the way we see the world. Not just favorites, but books that stuck with us long after we finished reading. From nonfiction books like Everything is Tuberculosis to the Hunger Games series, these stories are impactful and important. If you’re looking for books that make you think, that stay with you, or your next meaningful five star recommendation, this list is a good place to start.📲 Follow us on Instagram → @always.bookd🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.netFollow Always Booked for weekly bookish conversations, deep dives, and thoughtful convos!

Did Two Twisted Crowns stick the landing, or did we just want more vibes from One Dark Window?

We’re breaking down the entire Shepherd King duology conclusion, the possession tropes, the magic system, and that romance subplot we didn't know we needed until now. It’s gothic, it’s moody, and we have some THOUGHTS about it all.

Come hang out and let us know if you think this duology is worth the hype!

Subscribe to the Always Booked Podcast for weekly bookish conversations, deep dives, and thoughtful discussions about reading culture.

f...

Reading is supposed to be FUN but for so many readers it’s turned into pressure, performance, and constant comparison.

In this episode of the Always Booked Podcast, we’re breaking down the unspoken reading rules we’re officially leaving in 2025 and the *healthier* reading habits we’re taking into 2026.

From DNF guilt to book count obsession to algorithm driven TBRs, we talk honestly about how modern reading culture can steal the fun and how to get it back.

This episode is for anyone who wants reading to feel fun again.

We’re diving into the viral BookTok sensation Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber on this week's episode of the Always Booked podcast. It’s trending everywhere as a must-read, but do we agree?We’re breaking down the plot, the characters, and exactly why this popular book sparked a massive debate at the table.Is it a masterpiece or a total mess? Whether you loved it or DNF'd it, come hang out with us and talk books!📲 Follow us on Instagram → @always.bookd🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.netJoin our community in the comments! Did you love or hate this boo...

Our 2025 Reading Wrapped is finally here and we are breaking down the best books of the year, the worst books of the year, and everything in between in this full reading wrap up episode.

From five star reads we could not stop thinking about to the books that fully betrayed us and ended up as one star ratings, nothing is safe. This is our most honest reading recap yet as we rank our top reads of 2025, call out the biggest disappointments, and relive the stories that completely wrecked us emotionally.We also look ahead...