Badass Literature Society

This month we read and review Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about Under the Whispering Door: When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days. Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home. We hope you enjoy the episode! Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/living-waters License code: SVLSBTOWITFRT37N Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Hey everyone! Welcome to our newest bonus episode. This one is special though, because we have Bethanie Finger joining us to talk about her debut novel, More Than Life: A YA Historical Fantasy. Enjoy the interview, and don't forget to check out Bethanie's book, available on Amazon.com and from Barnes & Noble. Bethanie Finger Social: @bethaniefingerauthor Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about A Magic Steeped in Poison: For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life. But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger. We hope you enjoy the episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Tune in for a bonus episode where we do a BookTok challenge and discuss some challenges and reading goals for 2024. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a challenge that can be found on TikTok that we’ve done on the show instead! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review More Than Life: A YA Historical Fantasy by Bethanie Finger. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about More Than Life: A YA Historical Fantasy: A gripping story of overcoming grief, self-realization, and embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. As the daughter of a high-ranking sea captain, nineteen-year-old Cordelia Kimbal lives a life of luxury in the sea faring kingdom of Mikiria. But when her father dies unexpectedly, she is stripped of her title and home, and forced to join the working class in order to survive. Determined to rise above her losses, Cordelia is eager to prove her worth and stand on her own. But four months after her father's passing, a mysterious letter arrives, revealing the secret location of the mythical island of Qualaris. Known for concealing the secrets of magic and eternal life, Qualaris is often dismissed as mere legend, but Jaspar, Cordelia's father's enigmatic apprentice, is convinced of its existence and is harboring its secrets—secrets that the dark enchanter, Janus would stop at nothing to obtain. For generations, Jaspar and his ancestors have pursued the discovery and rescue of Qualaris while battling a curse of nonexistence, and he believes that Cordelia is the island's true protector, the one who can save it and its people from Janus's impending threat. Faced with the daunting task of defending Qualaris and its people, Cordelia embarks on a quest to locate the island, embrace her birthright, and take on the darkest enchanter in history. If she doesn’t, the island and its people won’t be the only casualties of Janus’s war. Join Cordelia on her journey as she navigates a world of magic, mystery, and danger, discovering her true self and the strength within her. P.S. More Than Life is the first book in the More Than Life trilogy, and ends on a cliffhanger. We hope you enjoy the episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Join us for a special bonus episode as we dive into the literary landscape of 2024! In this episode, we share our enthusiasm and anticipation for the most exciting books slated for release throughout the year. From eagerly awaited sequels to groundbreaking debuts, we'll explore a wide range of genres and authors, offering insights, predictions, and our personal expectations for each anticipated book. Whether it's the latest installment in a beloved series, a promising debut novel, or a highly anticipated work from a renowned author, no literary stone will be left unturned. Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about None of This is True: Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast. Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life. Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home. But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat. Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done? We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Tune in for a bonus episode where we talk about books that we think would make great movies, TV shows, or video games. If there's some that we missed, let us know by sending us an email or DM! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about A Mirror Mended: Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty, is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues. Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can't handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White's Evil Queen has found out how her story ends, and she's desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone. Will Zinnia accept the Queen's poisonous request and save them both from the hot-iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path? We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

For the bonus episode this month Michael read and reviews The Terminal List by Jack Carr! Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about The Terminal List: A Navy SEAL has nothing left to live for and everything to kill for after he discovers that the American government is behind the deaths of his team in this ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller. On his last combat deployment, Lieutenant Commander James Reece’s entire team was killed in a catastrophic ambush that also claimed the lives of the aircrew sent in to rescue them. But when those dearest to him are murdered on the day of his homecoming, Reece discovers that this was not an act of war by a foreign enemy but a conspiracy that runs to the highest levels of government. Now, with no family and free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons that he’s learned in over a decade of constant warfare toward avenging the deaths of his family and teammates. With breathless pacing and relentless suspense, Reece ruthlessly targets his enemies in the upper echelons of power without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law. We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about The Three Body Problem: 1967: Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China's Cultural Revolution. This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind. Four decades later, Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a secretive cabal of scientists after a spate of inexplicable suicides. Wang's investigation will lead him to a mysterious online game and immerse him in a virtual world ruled by the intractable and unpredictable interaction of its three suns. This is the Three-Body Problem and it is the key to everything: the key to the scientists' deaths, the key to a conspiracy that spans light-years and the key to the extinction-level threat humanity now faces. We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Welcome to a special bonus episode! In this episode, we are going to imagine hosting a dinner party and inviting fictional characters from different books to join us. The concept is to have a fun and imaginative discussion about the guests, their interactions, and how their unique personalities would create an interesting dynamic at the dinner table. We’ll each be inviting three literary guests. Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about One of Us is Lying: Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them. We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Tune in for a bonus episode where we talk about our favorite (and least favorite) book adaptations. If there's some that we missed, let us know by sending us an email or DM! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

🎙️ This month on Badass Literature Society, we dive into the mesmerizing world of These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. Join us as we review this captivating novel that intertwines romance, rival gangs, and a mysterious presence lurking in the shadows. As always, the first part of our review is spoiler-free! 📚 Set in the vibrant backdrop of 1926 Shanghai, the city pulses with debauchery while two rival gangs spill blood on the streets, plunging Shanghai into a state of chaos. At the center of it all is Juliette Cai, an eighteen-year-old former flapper who returns to claim her place as the formidable heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals who operate above the law. Their ultimate rivals, the White Flowers, have fought against the Scarlets for generations. And caught in the tangled web of power dynamics is Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love and betrayer. 💔 But when both gangs start succumbing to a mysterious madness, tearing at their own throats, whispers of a contagion and a hidden monster grow louder. As the death toll rises, Juliette and Roma must set aside their guns and grudges, joining forces to confront the growing menace. If they fail, Shanghai will be consumed by the ruthless mayhem, leaving nothing but ruins for either gang to claim. 🌃 Drawing inspiration from the enchanting allure of 1920s Shanghai, These Violent Delights delivers a heart-stopping debut. Fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane will be swept away by this imaginative retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Prepare to be captivated by the rival gangs, the atmospheric setting, and the lurking darkness beneath the surface of the Huangpu River. 🎧 Tune in to our latest episode and join us on this thrilling literary journey through the streets of Shanghai. Discover whether These Violent Delights will leave you breathless and yearning for more! We can't wait for you to enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Tune in for a bonus episode where we cast the roles for a film/tv show if they were making one of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova. Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about Anxious People: Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths. First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car. As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people. Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People’s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day. We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about A Day of Fallen Night: In A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come. Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose. To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be. The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate. When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat. We hope you enjoy this episode! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

This month we read and review Defending Jacob by William Landay Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free. Here's a little about Defending Jacob: Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. We hope you enjoy this episode! Tune in at the end for some bloopers! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!

Tune in for a bonus episode where we do a BookTok challenge and find out if we're legit book worms or just normal, everyday readers. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a challenge that can be found on TikTok that we’ve done on the show instead! Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.com If you don't already, follow us on Instagram and Facebook Art by Justin Miller Design Check us out here!