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RAD Reading

Episode 34: Let's Get Spooky - October's Read/Watch/Listen Recs

October 14, 2022 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast

Episode #34 

Episode Title: October’s Read/Watch/Listen

Release Date: October 14, 2022

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.

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Highlights: 

  • Why Dawn can’t go to the movies in October

  • Reading slumps are the worst

  • Roni tried a new method to tackle her giant TBR pile and it worked!

  • A book that was on Roni’s TBR for 7 years

  • Locked basements are a bad sign

  • A book that had one of us thinking WTF the whole time

  • We need warnings if the dog dies

  • A book that was just right for Dawn

  • Roni’s spooky/scary TV and movie recommendations (and an anti-recommendation)

  • Dawn recommends a few fun and not-so-spooky things to watch

  • A genre mash-up with fantastic audiobook narration

  • Lycanthropy is a word and Roni is standing by that

  • It always comes back to Buffy

  • Our RAD recs of the week

***episode spoilers below**

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*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!


Books recommended by Roni:

  • 16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

  • Love In the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

  • Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

  • For the kiddos: Goosebumps - Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine


Books recommended by Dawn:

  • Crux: The Dragon Brides (Intergalactic Dating Agency) by Kate Rudolph

  • Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

  • For the kiddos:

  • Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe

  • The Haunting by Margret Mahy

  • Secret of the Sevens by Lynn Lyndquist


Watch Recs by Roni:

  • Freaky (Netflix)

  • Midnight Club (based on Christopher Pike book) on Netflix

  • Boo, Bitch (Netflix)

  • Anti-Rec: My Best Friend’s Exorcism movie

  • The 20/20 episode The Vanishing Act (about Sheri Papini)

  • Looking forward to watching:

  • The new Interview with a Vampire series

  • (rewatch) The Craft

  • (rewatch) The Grudge

  • Hereditary

  • Idle Hands

  • Smile

  • (rewatch) Jennifer’s Body


Watch Recs by Dawn:

  • The Good Place

  • She-Hulk

  • Rings of Power


Listen Recs by Roni:

  • Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

  • Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer (rec with reservations)

  • Listening now: It Came From the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror edited by Joe Valesse

  • Listening now: Bloody Fool for Love by William Ritter - Spike from Buffy prequel


RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Saltaire by Hazel Jacks (Dawn’s rec)

  • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Roni’s rec)


Other books mentioned:

  • What If You & Me by Roni Loren

  • Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo


Other non-book recommendations:

  • Storygraph app

  • Currently Reading podcast

  • Last Year’s Halloween episode: They All Float




Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Website


Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram


Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)


In Read/Watch/Listen Tags rad reading podcast, spooky reads, spooky movies, tv shows, halloween, roni loren, dawn alexander, boo bitch, the midnight club, freaky, reading, books, book recommendations, scary books

Episode 23: Casual Friday with Bookish Friends

May 13, 2022 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #23 

Episode Title: Casual Friday with Bookish Friends - Editor Jessica Snyder and Author Stacy Woodson

Release Date: May 13, 2022

Episode Summary:

Today, we’re keeping it casual and having our first guests over to share their best book recommendations! Join us as we welcome indie editor Jessica Snyder and mystery writer Stacy Woodson. Expect some great romance, mystery, and suspense recommendations! Also, Roni has a number of books that she didn’t know quite how to rate because…reasons.

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Highlights: 

  • Meet our guests!

  • Dawn is giving her visitors the full Texas experience

  • Roni admits she used to line dance

  • Books that are hard to rate

  • Dawn recommends a book with the word “sausage” in the tagline

  • Editor Jess has a rec that’s a master class in upping the stakes in a story

  • Editor/writer brain showing up when you’re reading can be a problem

  • Thoughts on love triangles

  • A tip for listening to books on your Kindle

  • The upside of reading anthologies

  • Roni found a book she didn’t know existed but definitely needed in her life

  • Should authors go back and change things in earlier books

  • Our RAD recs of the week

  • And stay tuned for bloopers, in which Roni reveals just how embedded in her psyche, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is


SPOILERS AHEAD

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*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!


Books recommended by Roni:

  • Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave

  • The Appeal by Janice Hallett


Books recommended by Dawn:

  • Make Me Shiver by Marie Johnston

  • Baby for the Bosshole by Nadia Lee


Books recommended by our guests:

  • After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez

  • Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown 

  • Tinderbox by Rachel Grant

  • The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer


Other books mentioned:

  • “Two Tamales, One Tokarev, and a Lifetime of Broken Promises” by Stacy Woodson

  • Praise by Sara Cate

  • Gravity by Sara Cate

  • Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovitch

  • Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant

  • Crime Hits Home anthology by Mystery Writers of America edited by S.J. Rozan

  • The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost


Other non-book recommendations:

  • The apple cobbler crock pot recipe

  • Sandra Brown episode on Fated Mates podcast


RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (Dawn’s rec)

  • Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food In America by Mayukh Sen (Roni’s rec)


Connect with our guests:

  • Editor Jessica Snyder - her website

  • Author Stacy Woodson - her website

Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram


Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Website




Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)



In Bonus Episode, Show Notes Tags rad reading podcast, book recommendations, reading podcast, bookish podcast, roni loren, dawn alexander, stacy woodson, jessica snyder, summer reading

Episode 20: April Fools' Special - Books That Tricked Us

April 1, 2022 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #20 

Episode Title: Books That Tricked Us

Release Date: April 1, 2022

Episode Summary

In honor of April Fool’s Day, we’re talking about the ways books can trick you—the good and the bad—and sharing the books that tricked us! Warning: Because of some of the bookish topics, this isn't an episode to listen to with your kids in the car. ;)

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Highlights: 

  • The worst prank Dawn experienced

  • Why Roni can’t hear the 80s song “Don’t Treat Me Bad” without having prank flashbacks

  • Good twists vs. bad twists

  • Books that switch genres on you

  • Misleading book covers

  • Secondary plots that take over

  • The “It was all a dream…” Dallas cliche

  • Dawn’s fraught relationship with Nicholas Sparks

  • The book that didn’t play fair (in our opinions)

  • URNs and the Gone Girl effect

  • Non-fiction can trick us too!

  • Book expectations vs. the reality - why the mismatch?

  • Horror vs. thriller

  • Great books that tricked us

  • RAD Reading Recs of the week

  • Roni’s written a steamy story for a charity anthology to help Ukraine, pre-order Nightingale today!

Episode spoilers ahead

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*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!



Books mentioned (Note, some of these are recommendations, some are ones whose “tricks” didn’t work for us. Listen to find out which!)

  • High Five by Stephanie Plum

  • Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

  • We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

  • Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

  • The Roommate by Rosie Danaan

  • Where’d You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple

  • 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

  • The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

  • Four-Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

  • Fantastic Land by Mike Bockoven

  • No Exit by Taylor Adams

  • Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

  • The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

  • In My Dreams, I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

  • Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Other things mentioned:

  • The Strangers movie

  • No Exit movie



RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Nomad by S.M. West (Dawn’s rec)

  • One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle on audio (Roni’s rec)


Roni’s in a charity anthology for the Ukraine - pre-order your copy for a good cause!

Nightingale charity anthology




Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Website



Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram


Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)

Tags podcast, april fools books, roni, roni loren, dawn alexander, reading, bookish podcast, rad reading podcast, book recommendations, books that trick you, books with twists, horror vs thriller

Episode 16: We've Only Just Begun - Our Favorite Series Starters

February 4, 2022 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #16

Episode Title: We’ve Only Just Begun: Our Favorite Series Starters

Release Date: Feb. 4, 2022

Episode Summary:

It’s all about book series today! We're defining the different types of series, talking about why we love reading them, and then we’re giving our favorite series starter books. Let’s do this!

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Acast  

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Highlights: 

  • To series read or not to series read

  • Connected series vs. continuing series

  • Duets and trilogies

  • Shared world series

  • Roni remembers a book she forgot she wrote

  • Dawn makes friends in parking lots with people pulling things out of their trunks 

  • Series and fandoms and which fandom Roni was googling a decade ago

  • Why we love series

  • Why not waiting for a whole series to be written before buying can be important

  • RIP one of Roni’s series

  • Relief from decision fatigue

  • Our favorite series starters recs

  • Our RAD Recs of the Week

  • How Loren is pronounced



*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!

Beyone here lie episode spoilers…


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Books recommended by Roni:

  • The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (The Bridgerton series)

  • Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

  • Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

  • Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

  • Halfway to the Grave by Jeannine Frost

  • Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

  • City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

  • Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

  • Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts



Books recommended by Dawn:

  • Scoring a Soulmate (Mr. Match series) by Delancey Stewart

  • Big Chance Cowboy by Teri Anne Stanley

  • Company Assassin by Claudia Blood

  • Greed (A Sinful Empire series) by Eva Charles



RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Mischief Night by Delaney Foster (Dawn’s rec)

  • Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes by Sabrina Ghayour (Roni’s rec)



Other books mentioned:

The Ones Who Got Away series by Roni Loren

Melt Into You by Roni Loren

Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

The Black Company series by Glen Cook

One for the Money by Janet Evanovitch

In Death series by J.D. Robb

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Enchanted Rock Immortals series

Blurring the Lines by Roni Loren (Invitation to Eden series)

True North series by Sarina Bowen

The Cocky Hero Club series by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto  (reader rec)






Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Website



Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram



Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)

In Show Notes Tags rad reading, rad reading podcast, bookish podcast, series starters, first book in series, romance novels, roni loren, dawn alexander, book recommendations

Episode 9: November's Read/Watch/Listen Recommendations

November 26, 2021 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode # 9- Read/Watch/Listen

Episode Title: Read/Watch/Listen for November

Release Date: 11/26/21 

Episode Summary:

It’s time for our November round-up of all the great things we’ve been reading, watching, or listening to this month. 

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Acast  

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading


Highlights:

  • We took a used bookstore fieldtrip and ended up in very different aisles

  • Roni reads a book Dawn recommended on the podcast and Dawn reads one of Roni’s recs

  • Roni feels slightly betrayed 

  • Trigger warnings involving spiders who wear top hats

  • A movie that gives a character a perfect goal to strive for

  • A TV show about a writer

  • Roni needs a hotter Darkling

  • A scarier than expected kids movie

  • Roni’s Romantic Movie Marathon

  • Dawn’s cozy watch

  • Cooking without recipes

  • Fabio hunting

  • Roni remembers she’s part of the Rhythm Nation

  • Our RAD Reading recs of the week


*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!

Spoiler alert: our picks are below

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Recommendations


Books recommended by Roni:

  • Vicious by V. E. Schwab

  • Cackle by Rachel Harrison



Books recommended by Dawn:

  • No Exit by Taylor Adams

  • Hidden by Laura Griffin

  • An Adventurer’s Manifesto by Megan Rho



What Roni’s watching:

  • Zombieland (movie)

  • Shadow & Bone (Netflix show)

  • Love Hard (Netflix movie)

  • Magnolia Kitchen (cooking show on Discovery+)


What Dawn’s watching:

  • Castle (TV)

  • Jungle Cruise (movie)

  • The Great British Baking Show (TV show)



What Roni’s been listening to:

  • Janet Jackson’s greatest hits

  • Red (Taylor’s version) by Taylor Swift



What Dawn’s been listening to:

  • The Manning Cast on Monday nights



RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Breath of Deceit by Serena Laurence (Dawn rec)

  • Perfect by Judith McNaught (Roni rec)



Other books mentioned:

  • Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

  • Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

  • Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo



Other things mentioned:

  • Wheel of Time (TV series on Prime)

  • Roni’s Romantic Movie Marathon in her Happy for Now newsletter




Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Website



Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram



Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)

In Read/Watch/Listen, Show Notes Tags book recommendations, tv recommendations, movie recommendations, november, seasonal, roni loren, dawn alexander, bookish podcast, podcast about books, reading podcast

Episode 8: Shameless Reading - Liking What You Like + Our Shameless Recs

November 19, 2021 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode # 8 

Episode Title: Shameless Reading - Like What You Like + Our Shameless Book Recs

Release Date: November 19, 2021

Episode Summary

This week we’re talking about dropping reader shame and reading what you want to read. Plus, we’re giving our favorite shameless recs! Make sure the kids aren’t in the room for this one, y’all. ;) Join us and read shameless! 

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Acast  

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Highlights: 

  • The language/terms used to shame readers about certain types of books

  • Roni gets on her soapbox about the word “cheesy”

  • How genres read primarily by women are often shamed the most

  • Shame about book covers, titles, taboos, and uncomfortable topics

  • Self-help books and why they shouldn’t be shamed

  • Graphic novels count as reading

  • Romance novels and mental health

  • People who watch romance on the screen but won’t read a romance novel

  • Ways to keep things private if you really can’t been outwardly shameless

  • Finding your people

  • Our shameless book recs including Dawn’s blue aliens and Roni’s kinky picks

  • Our RAD Reading Recs of the week

*spoilers of which books we talk about below*

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*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!




Books recommended by Roni:

  • Natural Law by Joey W. Hill

  • Willing Victim by Cara McKenna

  • Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun

  • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

  • Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdet

  • Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

  • The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb

Books recommended by Dawn:

  • Omegaverse novels by Callie Rhodes

  • Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

  • Bound by Eva Charles

  • Masters of the Shadowlands series by Cherise Sinclair

  • Sky Mates series by Susan Grant



RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • American Queen by Sierra Simone (Dawn rec)

  • A Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux (Roni Rec)



Other books mentioned:

  • My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

  • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon



Other non-book things mentioned:

  • How Romance Novels Helped Me Life Myself Out of Postpartum Depression by author Sherry Thomas

  • Navigating Depression with the Help of Romance Novels by Carolina Ciucci

  • Outlander TV show

  • Bridgerton TV show

  • True Blood TV show



Find us online:

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Instagram

Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram


Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)

In Show Notes, Reading Upgrade Tags rad reading recs, rad reading podcast, show notes, shameless reading, reading romance, calling romance cheesy, read what you want, roni loren, dawn alexander, ice planet barbarians, BDSM, dark books, erotic romance, self-help books, podcast, bookish podcast, reading podcast, book recommendations

Episode 7: Fuzzy Sock Books - Reading for Comfort

November 12, 2021 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode # 7 Reading Why

Episode Title: Fuzzy Sock Books - Reading for Comfort

Release Date: November 12, 2021

Grab your fuzzy socks, cozy blanket, and a cup of something warm. Today is all about fuzzy sock books, AKA comfort reading. We’re talking about the types of books that lend themselves best to comfort reading, sharing cozy bookish activities, and then giving you a pile of recommendations to snuggle up with, including our RAD recs of the week! 

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Acast  

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading



Highlights: 

  • Our favorite comfort reading categories

  • The odd things we see posted on the neighborhood pages in our small towns

  • Black moments vs. gray moments in a story

  • What’s comforting can vary widely from person to person

  • To reread or not to reread

  • Watching the movie/TV show of a book (gasp!) first

  • Dawn’s daughter’s shocking reading habit

  • Roni’s deep secret she keeps from her husband ;)

  • Comforting bookish activities

  • Dawn gives us an update on her book journaling

  • Dawn hunting down hero-inspired body wash

  • Roni’s book-inspired food emergency

  • Bookish girls’ night out 

  • Our cozy book recommendations

  • Roni is shocked--no, like literally with electricity--and blows out her microphone

  • Our RAD Reading Recs of the week



*episode spoilers ahead*

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Books recommended by Roni:

  • Hope for the Holidays by Alison Kent

  • Lady Bridget’s Diary by Maya Rodale

  • Sex Lies and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson

  • Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

  • My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl

  • Off the Clock by Roni Loren (yes, my book)



Books recommended by Dawn:

  • Vangie Vale series by R.L. Syme

  • Accidentally In Love with a Biker by Teri Anne Stanley

  • The Outsiders or anything by S.E. Hinton

  • Judy Blume: Forever, Tiger Eyes

  • A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (Dawn’s review)

  • Stealing the Bride by Nadia Lee

  • Sexy Sinner by Eva Charles



RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Secondhand Sinners by Genevieve Lynne (Dawn rec)

  • My Life In France by Julia Child (Roni rec)



Other books mentioned:

  • Cackle by Rachel Harrison

  • The Suite Spot by Trish Doller 

  • Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm by D. G. Priya

  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

  • The BFG by Roald Dahl

  • YOU by Caroline Kepnes

  • Normal People by Sally Rooney

  • The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

  • Cooking at Home by David Chang and Priya Krishna

  • The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren



Other non-book recommendations:

  • YOU the TV show (Netflix)

  • Normal People the TV show (Hulu)

  • Dragon Noodles recipe

  • Julie and Julia movie



*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!


Find us online:

RAD Reading Facebook Page

Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram




Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)

In Reading Why, Show Notes Tags comfort reading, cozy books, reading for comfort, rad reading podcast, fuzzy socks, books, reading, reading in winter, gentle books, roni loren, dawn alexander, bookish podcast, romance reading, cozy mysteries, books with gentle conflict, fast reads, pride and prejudice, book recommendations, book recs

Episode 6: Distraction Detox - Less Screen Time, More Reading Time

November 5, 2021 Roni Loren

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode # 6 - Reading Upgrade

Episode Title: Distraction Detox - Less Screen Time, More Reading Time

Release Date: Nov. 5, 2021

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Acast  

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Episode Summary/Highlights: 

Do you find yourself picking up your phone instead of picking up a book or your e-reader? Yeah, us too. Today we tackle how to tame the screen time so we can get more reading time, especially during the busy holiday season. We’ll also discuss how the type of book you pick up can make all the difference. And as usual, we’ll have a pile of reading recs for you! 

Highlights:

  • This is our reading brains on smartphones

  • The power of Do Not Disturb

  • How to reclaim reading time in a screen time world

  • Roni’s haunted moaning window makes a cameo

  • The types of books that are better suited for distracted minds

  • Fast-starting book recs

  • Recs for short and snappy reads

  • Short story/essay collections that you can tackle in bite-sized bits

  • Page-turning memoirs

  • Some of our favorite binge-worthy book series

  • Roni is horrified to realize she’s read books two and three of a series and not book one

  • Roni’s doorstop length books

  • Our RAD Reading Recs of the week





*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!

EPISODE SPOILERS AHEAD…

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Books recommended by Roni:

  • Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

  • I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron

  • Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

  • This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Phillips

  • Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo

  • Brokedown Cowboy (Copper Ridge series) by Maisey Yates

  • Bad News Cowboy by Maisey Yates

  • 11/22/63 by Stephen King

  • Wanderers by Chuck Wendig




Books recommended by Dawn:

  • Chasing Vega by Terry Shepard

  • Why Moms Are Weird by Pamela Ribon

  • Charmed in Texas series by Sharla Lovelace

  • Faceoff anthology by International Thriller Writers

  • Matchup anthology by International Thriller Writers

  • Different Seasons by Stephen King

  • Tinsel and Tatas anthology for charity

  • The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

  • Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire) by Jen Glantz

  • One For the Money (Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovitch

  • Naked In Death (In Death series) by J.D. Robb




Other books mentioned:

  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

  • Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates




RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

  • Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik (Dawn)

  • Deep Work by Cal Newport (Roni)







Roni’s many blog posts on social media breaks and device-free summers:

  • A Screen-Free Summer for Kidlet: How, Why, & If I'll Lose My Mind

  • The 10-Day Update 

  • 5 Week Update on Screen-Free Summer

  • The End of Our Screen-Free Summer: Results and Moving Forward

  • The After-Effects of Our Device-Free Summer

  • Device-Free Summer 2.0: Why We’re Doing This Again

  • 7 Things to Reduce Distractions and Increase Focus

  • On Productivity and Distraction: Deep Work

  • Revisiting Deep Work

  • Stop Letting Your Inbox Distract You: Making Rules Work For You

  • The Digital Declutter & Why I’m Taking a 30-Day Social Media Break

  • After the 30-Day Social Media Ban: What Surprised Me & What I’m Changing




Find us online:

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading List





Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram





Another note: Because we are both in the publishing industry, sometimes the books we recommend might be by an author we know personally, an author who shares a publisher, editor, or agent with Roni, or an author whom Dawn has edited. Publishing is a small world, so that will happen from time to time. However, we guarantee that we only recommend books we love. We have not been asked to promote any of these books and none are paid ads. However, some books we review may be ARCs (advanced reading copies provided by publishers to reviewers for honest reviews.)

In Reading Roadblock, Show Notes Tags distraction, screen time, not reading anymore, reading, bookish podcast, readers, i used to be a reader, reading time, taming distractions, smartphones, deep work, focus, concentration, the pleasure of reading, book recommendations, books, roni loren, dawn alexander, bookish podcasts, distraction detox, digital minimalism, fast starting books, short reads, page-turners, memoirs, celebrity memoirs, binge-worthy book series, RAD raeding, romance authors, editor

Episode 3: Making Your Own Reading Journal (AKA Fun with Office Supplies)

October 15, 2021 Roni Loren
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RAD Reading Podcast
Episode # 3

Episode Title: Making Your Own Reading Journal (AKA Fun with Office Supplies)

Release Date: October 15, 2021

Listen above or in your favorite podcast app:

  • Apple podcasts

  • Audible

  • Spotify

  • Acast  

  • Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

Episode Summary: 

We love upgrading our reading lives, so this week we’re talking about one of our favorite ways to enhance the reading experience--creating our own reading journals! Plus, as always, we’re giving our RAD Reading Recs of the week.

Highlights:

  • Why Dawn’s teen journals led her to get grounded--unnecessarily!

  • The one journal Roni’s been able to stick with

  • The basics of a reading/book journal

  • Private reading journals vs. Goodreads 

  • Roni avoiding awkward book signings

  • What Dawn said that made Roni clutch her pearls

  • The unexpected benefits of a reading journal

  • Dawn’s epiphany about stencils

  • The nuts & bolts of putting together your own journal

  • What Roni wishes she’d been putting in her journal from the start

  • Rating systems - Roni’s highly detailed one & Dawn’s low-key method

  • Documenting reading challenges

  • Finding your journaling style - decorative, bare bones, etc.

  • Digital options for journaling

  • Dawn’s signal that she’s been kidnapped

  • Journaling tips

  • Instagram perfect journals are not necessary

  • Our favorite journaling supplies

  • Our RAD Reading Recs of the Week

*Note: all book/product 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!


Supplies recommended by Roni:

  • Leuchtturm1917 Journal 

  • Stabilo Fineliner Pens

  • Zebra Mildliner highlighters 

  • Staedtler Ergosoft colored pencils 

  • Staedtler Template, Geometric Shapes & Symbols to draw boxes and circles



Supplies recommended by Dawn:

  • Plum Paper Notebook 

  • Frixion pens

  • Prisma Color Pencils 




Other resources mentioned:

  • Roni’s free downloadable Romance Reading Journal

  • Rock Your Reading Tracker by Sarah’s Bookshelves

  • My Reading Journal by Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy)

  • Pensieve app

  • Book of the Month club 


Dawn’s Reading Journal

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Roni’s Reading Journal

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RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

Dear Writer, Are You In Burnout? by Becca Syme (Dawn’s rec)

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (Roni’s rec)



Find us online:

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Reading Website

Connect with Roni on her website or @roniloren on Instagram

Connect with Dawn on her website or @dawnalexanderbooks on Instagram

In Reading Upgrade, Show Notes Tags rad reading, episode 3, reading journals, book journals, making a journal, recording your reading, reading lists, reading challenges, bullet journaling, books, reading, roni loren, dawn alexander, podcast, bookish podcast', reading podcast, book podcast, book reviews, book recommendations, new podcast, bookish podcasts

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Site and text © 2008-2025 Roni Loren - Photos are either by the author, purchased from stock sites, or (where attributed) Creative Commons. Linkbacks, pins, and shares are always appreciated, but with the exception of promotional material (book covers, official author photo, book summaries), please do not repost material in full without permission.  And though I do not accept sponsored content for this site (all my recommendations are personal recommendations), there are some affiliate links. All Amazon and iBooks links are affiliate links.