RAD Reading

It’s time for our best books of the year episode! We also have an announcement about the podcast and Roni has a new book coming out. Join us for the end-of-the-year fun!Highlights: An announcement about the podcastNoticing the themes of our favorite books this yearThe genres that worked and didn’t work for us this yearRoni loves a book statistic and she found some surprises about her reading life this yearOur favorite romancesDawn’s dark darknessYes, Roni uses quarter starsBooks that speak to your IdOur favorite mysteries and suspenseRoni’s favorite non-fictionLeonard the dog tries to dismantle the officeA book Roni thinks everyone should listen to Our most anticipated books for 2023Roni’s new book Good Girl Fail comes out January 17th!Click here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:RAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

Today, we welcome Sierra Godfrey, author of A Very Typical Family, to talk about Women’s Fiction. Is it a genre? What does that category mean? Can it have romance in it? Does it have to have a certain kind of ending? We answer those questions and more. Then we’re giving our best women’s fiction recommendations!Highlights: Something in Sierra’s author bio already has Dawn nervousThe challenge of writing sibling stories as an only childWomen’s Fiction and what does that mean exactlyRoni can’t help being a “Well, actually…” personOur best women’s fiction recommendationsIf Dawn is ever in the woods, it means we need to send helpOur RAD Recs of the WeekGo sign up for Sierra’s newsletter because it’s awesome (says Roni the newsletter snob)And buy her book A Very Typical Family, out now!Click here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:Our guest: Sierra GodfreyRAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

Episode Summary:It’s that time of year again! Light the pumpkin-scented candle, get a bowl of your favorite Halloween candy, and turn on a stormy night soundtrack to set the mood. Today, we’re bringing you the best scary (from Roni) and gently spooky (from Dawn) things we’ve read, watched, and listened to lately.Highlights: Why Dawn can’t go to the movies in OctoberReading slumps are the worstRoni tried a new method to tackle her giant TBR pile and it worked!A book that was on Roni’s TBR for 7 yearsLocked basements are a bad signA book that had one of us thinking WTF the whole timeWe need warnings if the dog diesA book that was just right for DawnRoni’s spooky/scary TV and movie recommendations (and an anti-recommendation)Dawn recommends a few fun and not-so-spooky things to watchA genre mash-up with fantastic audiobook narrationLycanthropy is a word and Roni is standing by thatIt always comes back to BuffyOur RAD recs of the weekClick here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:RAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

Today, we’re celebrating Roni’s birthday by talking about the books that influenced her as a reader. Then, Dawn is gifting Roni with a stack of book recommendations tailored to her tastes. Plus, we’re celebrating our 1-year podcast anniversary! Come and join our bookish party!Highlights: Our little baby podcast is now one year old!Roni’s embarrassing TBR confessionWe get wistful about the Scholastic book fair flyerTeam Babysitters Club vs Team Sweet Valley HighA book that gutted Baby RoniThe day Dawn missed a very important day in reading class and was book traumatizedThe joy of nineties teen horror booksThat age when you hit the “sneaky reads”Yep, Flowers in the Attic messed all of us up ;) That time Roni asked her dad the definition of a word and was mortified to find out the answerWhen Roni’s reading life died and the book that brought her backHow did Roni end up writing super steamy romanceDawn gifts Roni with personalized book recsRoni somehow brings things back to Buffy againOur RAD Recs of the week!We go on a tangent about fear just in time for the spookiest monthClick here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:RAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram*Note: all book links are affiliate links which means the podcast makes a small commission if you make a purchase, but there is no extra cost to you!

USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling author Pippa Grant is joining us today to talk about unlikable heroines and why they need love too. Plus, we get to hear a little about her romantic comedies! (Fair warning: this talk is more PG-13 than some of our others so don’t listen with kiddos in the car.)Highlights: Unlikable heroines need love tooNot all things marketed as romantic comedy are true comedyPippa’s got a new release coming called Irresistible TroubleDawn and Roni have their RAD Reading After Dark voices going because when we recorded, we were both recovering from COVIDUnlikable heroine does not mean a badly written heroineThe double standard for heroinesTypes of unlikable heroines - the b**ch, the achiever, the sexually liberated heroine, the messy heroine, true female villainsWhy authors try not to read their own reviewsRoni has feelings about Fatal Attraction“Cool motive. Still murder.” – DawnRoni’s meanest heroineOur reading recs for books with unlikable heroinesOur RAD recs of the weekClick here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:Our guest author: Pippa GrantRAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

Sometimes we get so focused on the traditional novel that we forget that stories come in all different types of formats and structures. This week, we’re giving those kinds of stories the spotlight. Join us as we recommend graphic novels, anthologies, short stories, novels with creative formats, and some truly wacky things Dawn found at the bookstore!Highlights: Reading is reading and don’t let anyone tell you format dictates whether something countsRoni gets on her reading soapbox at a football game and was “that person”Giving things a try that you think may not be for youDawn wants to time travelThe upsides of short storiesDawn was definitely almost killed by one of the Children of the CornLeonard the dog makes known his love of LGBTQIA+ romanceThe difference between graphic novels and comics Roni discovers a new way to read graphic novels that makes it so much easier for her to follow the storyRoni is going through a Buffy phase #sorrynotsorryNovels with interesting formatsRemember when Twitter wasn’t a hellscape?The elusive state of “full mental capacity”IKEA can be effing scaryThe curse of “have a great summer”Roni loves her scary movies and books but she’s terrified of one book Dawn lovesDawn cheats on “choose your adventure” booksColoring books with interesting subjectsOur RAD Reading Recs of the week - including a book a listener recommended to us!Click here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:RAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

It’s too hot here in Texas so today we’re dreaming about Fall and sharing a BIG list of paranormal reads to add to your TBR. We’ve got vampires and witches and shifters, oh my! Plus, you know Dawn is bringing dragons and Roni's going to talk too much about Buffy. We’re also talking about how the trend of paranormals has waxed and waned over the decades and how it seems to be coming back after a dormant period. And we’re so here for it! Highlights: Seasonal reading - our versions of itRoni’s craving vampiresRoni is teaching her beginner romance writing class, you can sign up here (Code: EARLYBIRD gets you $20 off before August 25th!)The paranormal craze of the aughtsIs the era of the rom com hitting the saturated point?Dark books for dark timesHow the pandemic may be playing into this potential trendWhat each of us is looking for in a paranormal readDawn wants the weirdnessRoni’s obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer YA paranormal vs adult paranormalThe trope of the Chosen OneOur favorite creatures/monstersWhat doesn’t work for us in paranormalsOstriches and ghosts of childrenJoin Roni’s super cool newsletter and you can chat book recs too!A giant stack of book recs coming your wayFirst-book-in-a-long-series syndromeOur RAD Recs of the weekClick here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:RAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

Episode Summary:It’s Dawn’s birthday week! Today, we’re going to celebrate Dawn with an episode dedicated to the books she loves. First, she’s bringing us a list of books that she credits with making her into a reader. Then, Roni is “gifting” Dawn with three book recommendations that are tailor-made for her. Plus, we’re bringing you a recap from our fabulous weekend at the Book Bonanza conference!  Join us for the birthday bash!Highlights: Our Book Bonanza conference recapDawn the Designated ExtrovertMiss Connie the super librarianRoni played Never Have I Ever with some superstar authors…and can’t remember much because she might’ve metaphorically blacked out on stageStrawberry Ice Cream Hershey kisses are dangerous We almost had a murderous dinnerReaders truly are the best The books that made Dawn into a readerRead the book but skip this movieThe power of English teachersThe book that every 80s kid had tucked inside their backpackThe book that taught Dawn it was okay for stories not to have a happy endingThe book Dawn would save in a fireRoni gifts Dawn with three book recommendationsDawn’s husband is very nice but she does like an alphahole hero in her booksOur RAD Recs of the WeekClick here to get the full show notes, including links to all of our recommendations and anything else we mentioned in the show.Find us online:RAD Reading on InstagramRAD Reading Facebook PageRAD Reading WebsiteRAD Rec Master ListConnect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on InstagramConnect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram