Episode 35: Women's Fiction with Guest Author Sierra Godfrey

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #35 

Episode Title: Women’s Fiction with Guest Author Sierra Godfrey

Release Date: Oct. 28, 2022

Episode Summary:

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!

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: 

• Something in Sierra’s author bio already has Dawn nervous

• The challenge of writing sibling stories as an only child

• Women’s Fiction and what does that mean exactly

• Roni can’t help being a “Well, actually…” person

• Our best women’s fiction recommendations

• If Dawn is ever in the woods, it means we need to send help

• Our RAD Recs of the Week

• Go sign up for Sierra’s newsletter because it’s awesome (says Roni the newsletter snob)

**Episode spoilers ahead**

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

..

*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!

Our guest’s book and her recommendations:

• A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey

• Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

• Less by Andrew Sean Greer

• As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr

• Nothing But the Truth by Holly James

• The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

• The Catch by Alison Fairbrother

• The Cactus by Sarah Haywood

• A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Diane Freeman

Books recommended by Roni:

• Old School Taylor Jenkins Reid

• One True Loves

• Maybe In Another Life

• After I Do

• This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

• Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

• The Suite Spot by Trish Doller

• Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

• The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

Books recommended by Dawn:

• Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons by Lorna Landvik

• Why Moms Are Weird by Pamela Ribon

• The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (Dawn’s rec)

• A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin (Roni’s Rec)

Other books mentioned:

• The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

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.)

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

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**

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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.)

Episode 32: Unlikable Heroines with (Likable) Guest Author Pippa Grant

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #32 

Episode Title: Unlikable Heroines with (Likable) Guest Author Pippa Grant

Release Date: September 16, 2022

Episode Summary

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.)

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: 

• Unlikable heroines need love too

• Not all things marketed as romantic comedy are true comedy

• Pippa’s got a new release coming called Irresistible Trouble

• Dawn and Roni have their RAD Reading After Dark voices going because when we recorded, we were both recovering from COVID

• Unlikable heroine does not mean a badly written heroine

• The double standard for heroines

• Types of unlikable heroines - the b**ch, the achiever, the sexually liberated heroine, the messy heroine, true female villains

• Why authors try not to read their own reviews

• Roni has feelings about Fatal Attraction

• “Cool motive. Still murder.” – Dawn

• Roni’s meanest heroine

• Our reading recs for books with unlikable heroines

• Our RAD recs of the week

**episode spoilers below**

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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:

• Book Lovers by Emily Henry

• The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan

• The One You Can’t Forget by Roni Loren

• Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

Books recommended by Dawn:

• By the Hour by Roni Loren

• In Death series by J.D. Robb

• Make Me Shiver by Marie Johnston

Books recommended by Pippa:

• Always Only You by Chloe Liese

• After Hours by Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez

• The One Who Loves You by Pippa Grant

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• Paper Ghosts by Julie Heaberlin (Dawn’s rec)

• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Roni’s Rec)

Other books mentioned:

• Stud in the Stacks by Pippa Grant

• Flirting with the Frenemy by Pippa Grant

• Irresistible Trouble by Pippa Grant

• Mr. McHottie by Pippa Grant

• Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Other things mentioned:

• The Proposal (movie)

• Vampire Academy TV show (Peacock)

Visit Pippa on her website

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.)

Episode 31: Don’t You Forget About Me - Stories Told In Alternative Formats

RAD Reading Podcast 
Episode #31 

Episode Title: Don’t You Forget About Me: Stories Told In Alternative Formats

Release Date: September 2, 2022

Episode Summary:

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.

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: 

• • Reading is reading and don’t let anyone tell you format dictates whether something counts

• • Roni gets on her reading soapbox at a football game and was “that person”

• • Giving things a try that you think may not be for you

• • Dawn wants to time travel

• • The upsides of short stories

• • Dawn was definitely almost killed by one of the Children of the Corn

• • Leonard the dog makes known his love of LGBTQIA+ romance

• • The 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 story

• • Roni is going through a Buffy phase #sorrynotsorry

• • Novels with interesting formats

• • Remember when Twitter wasn’t a hellscape?

• • The elusive state of “full mental capacity”

• • IKEA can be effing scary

• • The curse of “have a great summer”

• • Roni loves her scary movies and books but she’s terrified of one book Dawn loves

• • Dawn cheats on “choose your adventure” books

• • Coloring books with interesting subjects

• • Our RAD Reading Recs of the week - including a book a listener recommended to us!

***episode spoilers ahead**

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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:

• Night Shift by Stephen King

• Different Seasons by Stephen King

• Vampires Never Get Old edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker

• Slasher Girls and Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke

• Echoes: A Ghost Story anthology edited by Ellen Datlow

• Take the Heat: A Criminal Romance anthology

• Nightingale charity anthology 

• Fifty First Times: A New Adult Anthology

• Break Me Down by Roni Loren

• Yours All Along by Roni Loren

• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (multiple volumes)

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 1 comic

• The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

• The Appeal by Janice Hallett

• Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

• Catherine Ryan Howard books

• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

• Night Film by Marisha Pessl

• Grady Hendrix’s books

Books recommended by Dawn:

• The Tattered Blue Line anthology

• Dissent: A charity anthology for reproductive rights  

• Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

• Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

• Chat stories 

• Love Letters by A.R. Gurney

• Minalima pop-up books - Alice In Wonderland, Wizard of Oz

• My Lady’s Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zagris

• Murdered by James Schannep

• Paint by Sticker books

• Crush and Color - Ryan Reynolds edition

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Roni’s rec)

• Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (Dawn’s rec)

Other books mentioned:

• American Predator by Maureen Callahan

• Vicious by V.E. Schwab

• Not Until You serial by Roni Loren

• By the Hour by Roni Loren

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

• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

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.)

Episode 23: Casual Friday with Bookish Friends

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

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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.)

Episode 21: A Matter of Taste - Bad Book or Just Not For You?

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #21 

Episode Title: A Matter of Taste: Bad Book or Just Not for You? 

Release Date: April 15, 2022

Episode Summary:

Learning your personal reading tastes is one of the best ways to enhance your reading life. Today we’re talking about the difference between a “bad” book and a book that’s just not for you (or not for you right now.) Plus, we’re giving examples of books that fall into those categories for us along with our RAD Reading recs of the week!

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: 

• To read reviews or not to read reviews

• Roni’s trying something new with book reviews

• Dawn is not allowed to be on TikTok

• Where we look for book recommendations 

• Roni’s favorite bookish podcasts

• Book twins

• Random raptors and when one-star reviews are unhelpful

• Books and movies that are so bad they’re good

• “Bad” vs. “unenjoyable” - there’s a difference

• Not for you ever vs. not for you right now

• Roni’s reading journal “breaking news”

• Running experimental trials on your reading life

• Seasons of life and how it changes your reading

• Do you need likable characters?

• What Roni learned while reading domestic suspense

• Dawn’s hate-reading/rage-reading

• Dawn puts on her editing hat to teach us about author intrusion

• A list of books that were for us, not for us right now, and not for us ever

• Grim vs. dark

• Our RAD Reading recs of the week

• The blooper reel

Books recommended by Roni:

• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

• The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Books recommended by Dawn:

• My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

• Dark Matter by Black Crouch

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor (Dawn’s rec)

• The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard (Roni’s rec)

Other books mentioned:

• Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens

• Why It’s OK to Love Bad Movies by Matthew Strohl

• In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashely Winstead

• YOU by Caroline Kepnes

• I’ll Be Gone In the Dark by Michelle McNamara

• One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

• The Push by Ashley Audrain

Other things mentioned:

• Currently Reading podcast

• Sarah’s Bookshelves Live podcast

• Books In the Freezer podcast

• Chopping Mall (on Hoopla)

• Night of the Comet

• License to Drive

• Fated Mates podcast

• Day One app

• New Girl

• Roni’s Happy for Now newsletter

• Our DNF episode

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor (Dawn’s rec)

• The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard (Roni’s 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.)

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

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

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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.)

Episode 19: March's Read/Watch/Listen Recommendations

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #19 

Episode Title: March’s Read/Watch/Listen Recs

Release Date: March 18, 2022

Episode Summary:

It’s been a while since one of our Read/Watch/Listen episodes, so now we have a big list of TV shows, movies, audiobooks, playlists, and yes, books to share with you today! 

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: 

• Calling a podcast audible

• Reading slumps 

• Roni is horrified by what her dog’s favorite treat is made out of

• Stress levels and how they affect what type of reading we do

• Books that make us clean out closets

• What would be a cry for help from Dawn?

• Did Amy Adams channel Meg Ryan?

• Dawn’s interesting movie experience at the 4pm showing

• What we’ve been watching

• Roni’s obsessed with the 90s

• Don’t move into a creepy house to combat writer’s block

• Dawn could watch one show with the sound off and be just fine

• What Roni’s listening to with her teen

• Dawn listened to another audiobook!

• Our RAD Recs of the week, including one that inspired Roni to write a 10k word story

• Stay tuned for bloopers

EPISODE SPOILERS AHEAD

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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:

• Minimalista by Shira Gill

• Midnight Chicken and Other Recipes Worth Living For by Ella Risbridger

• Mischief Night by Delaney Foster

Roni’s What to Watch recommendations:

• Julie and Julia (Starz)

• Taylor Tomlinson: Look at You (Netflix)

• Iliza: Elder Millennial (Netflix)

• Superhost (Shudder)

• The Dark Side of the 90s (Hulu)

• Shining Vale (Amazon Prime)

• American Idol (ABC)

Roni’s What to Listen To Recs

• 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die playlist on Spotify

Books recommended by Dawn:

• Hallowed Eve by Delaney Foster

• Before He Finds Her by Michael Kardos

Dawn’s What to Watch recommendations:

• Death on the Nile

• Dirty Jobs

• Reacher (Amazon Prime)

• The Batman

Dawn’s What to Listen To Recs

• When She Returned by Lucinda Berry

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman on audiobook (Roni’s Rec)

• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (Dawn’s 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.)

Episode 18: Take My Money Please - Autobuy Authors

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #18 

Episode Title: Take My Money Please: Autobuy Authors

Release Date: March 4, 2022

Episode Summary:

Today is all about the autobuy authors. We love finding autobuys, but we can also get stuck in a rut, only reading our sure things. Join us as we tackle the pros and cons of autobuy authors and then share a list of our favorite autobuys. And warning, technology and Roni’s puppy hated us this episode, so expect some bloopers in the middle and some outtakes at the end.

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: 

• Texas ice sucks

• Roni’s 6-month writing sabbatical

• Puppies eating post-it notes

• What is an autobuy author

• Why we love autobuy authors

• Why autobuys can sometimes get us stuck

• Your dad and James Patterson

• Somehow Twilight comes up again and we’re on different #TeamJacob #TeamEdward teams

• Where to find authors and books like your favorite autobuys

• Sometimes you can’t trust cover quotes

• Stephen King blurbs everything

• Our favorite autobuy authors in multiple genres

• Queso currency

• Dawn talks about ending on a cliffhanger and then the universe makes a joke about it

• Roni institutes the Emergency Kong Protocol

• Dawn and her aliens

• Our RAD Recs of the week

• Roni lent Dawn a book! 

• Stay tuned for outtakes

**episode spoilers ahead**

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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!

Roni’s autobuy authors:

• Christina Lauren

• Colleen Hoover

• Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Leigh Bardugo

• V.E. Schwab

• Gretchen Rubin

• Cal Newport

Dawn’s autobuy authors:

• Roni Loren

• Maya Hughes

• Marie Johnston

• Eva Charles

• Delaney Foster

• Emily McIntire

• Delancey Stewart

• Nadia Lee

• Meghan Rho

• Jane Harper

• Ruby Dixon

• Callie Rhodes

• Marlowe Roy

• Riley Sager

• Laura Griffin

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica (Dawn’s rec)

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (Roni’s 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.)

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

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…

..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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.)

Episode 15: Reading for Mental Health + Trigger Warnings

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode #15 

Episode Title: Reading for Mental Health + Trigger Warnings

Release Date: January 21, 2022

Episode Summary:

This week we’re chatting about how books can help our mental health, the kinds of books that work best for us when we’re feeling anxious or down, and we’re discussing the practice of putting trigger warnings in books. Also, we have our RAD Reading Recs of the week plus a few bonus picks!

Spoiler Alert: Spoiler for the book The Push by Ashley Audrain at 42:55, skip ahead one minute to 43:55 mark if you don’t want a spoiler.

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: 

• Roni got a puppy and is feeling loopy from lack of sleep

• Why waiting rooms can be a gift

• Reading and health

• Goat yoga but with teeth

• Calgon, take me away reading moments

• Dark stories in dark times

• Bibliotherapy is a real thing and a cool word

• Someone send Roni recs for dog-themed essay collections!

• That “this is me” feeling when reading

• How A Wrinkle In Time found Dawn at the exact right moment

• Romance, weirdness, and acceptance

• Thoughts on menage and laundry

• The beauty of the guaranteed ending

• Dawn throws shade at Nicholas Sparks (do people still say “throw shade”?)

• Romance vs. “a love story”

• Genre mystery vs. literary mystery vs. cozy mystery

• Dawn’s Apollo 13 anxiety

• Sometimes sad moods and happy comedic books are a bad mix

• What is a trigger warning? 

• Are trigger warnings spoilers?

• Transcending our GenX-ness (but Roni’s not giving up her Doc Martens)

• Our personal experiences with triggers in books

• Roni wants a “Does this book have…?” database

• Different ways authors handle trigger warnings

• Roni let Dawn down by not giving her a trigger warning for a movie

• Bonus books recs 

• The RAD Reading Recs of the week

• Stay tuned for bloopers!

*episode spoilers ahead*

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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:

• Smooth Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Books recommended by Dawn:

• Marrying My Billionaire Boss by Nadia Lee

• Beauty and the Assassin by Nadia Lee

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb (Roni Rec)

• Kiss and Tell by Maya Hughes

Other books mentioned:

• Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

• The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine

• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

• Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren

• What If You & Me by Roni Loren

• Captivated by Tessa Bailey and Eve Dangerfield

• Melt Into You by Roni Loren

• When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

• One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Make Me Whole by Marie Johnston

• The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

• The Push by Ashley Audrain

Other things mentioned:

• Healthline article on reading and blood pressure

• Roni’s Romantic Movie Marathon

• Does the dog die? Website (has other triggers too for movies)

• Ghostbusters: Afterlife

• Infinity War

• End Game

Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

The full list of RAD Reading Recs from every episode

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.)

Episode 14: Get It Together in 2022 - Our Favorite Planners & Self-Improvement Books

RAD Reading Podcast
Episode # 14

Episode Title: Get It Together in 2022: Our Favorite Planners & Self-Improvement Books

Release Date: January 7, 2022

Episode Summary:

It’s that time of year, and we’re so here for it. Join us as we get all ourselves together for 2022. We’re sharing which planners we’re using to set goals and organize our year, and then we’re recommending our favorite self-improvement books for improving your home life, reducing distractions, getting control of your time, and boosting your creativity. We’ve got a long list! Plus, as always, we’ll be sharing 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: 

• We’ve both ditched the planners we’ve used in the past and switched to new ones

• Which planners we’re using this year – and yes, there are multiple planners because we contain multitudes, okay. No one planner can contain us! ;) 

• Roni’s a pushy planner person

• How Dawn lost many hours of her life…planning her planner

• A "happy life" planner

• Dawn made a stencil journal

• Roni is learning to “use the things”

• Roni apparently needs a lot of self-help while Dawn only needs a little

• Books really can fix things

• Books for improving your home life

• Pondering deep questions like “why am I folding my underwear?”

• Books that helped us reduce distractions and tame social media/staring at our phones all the time

• Books that help you take back your time 

• Books that give you a creativity boost

• Our RAD Reading Recs of the week 

• We still can't say “RAD Reading Rec” without stumbling on our words

• An important change to the podcast

**spoilers ahead**

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*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:

• Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

• Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan C. Pinksy

• The Joy of Less by Francine Jay

• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

• How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price

• Essentialism by Greg McKeown

• Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam

• Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

• Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative In Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon

Books recommended by Dawn:

• The Me Project by Kathi Lipp

• Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality by Katie and Kelly McMenamin

• Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess by Rachel Hoffman

• Dear Writer, Are You In Burnout? By Becca Syme

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• Captivated by Tessa Bailey and Eve Dangerfield

• Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren

Other things mentioned:

Rocketbook notebook

Roni’s Romantic Movie Marathon in her newsletter

Roni’s blog and her posts on digital detoxing and device-free summers

Roni’s Fighting for Focus class

Planners mentioned:

Day Designer

Cloth & Paper planner

Cloth & Paper subscription box

Powersheets

Sarra Cannon’s HB90 system

Ban.do planner

Doodlelove year at a glance poster

Passion Planner

Agendio planner

Bloom planner

Plum Paper planners

Find us online:

RAD Reading on Instagram

RAD Reading Facebook Page

RAD Rec Master 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.)

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

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*

.

.

.

.

..

*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.)

Episode 7: Fuzzy Sock Books - Reading for Comfort

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*

.

.

.

.

.

..

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.)

Episode 5: They All Float - Our Best Halloween Recs

Episode # 5

Episode Title: They All Float: Our Best Halloween Recs

Release Date: October 29, 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: 

Happy Halloween! This week Roni freaks out Dawn with her scary book and movie picks (and episode title) and Dawn offers recommendations for those who prefer their Halloween on the gentler side. It’s a long one, y’all! We’ve got a pile of recs for you, including suspense, horror, true crime, and paranormal romance. Grab a bag of Halloween candy and join us! 

Highlights:

• The controversial episode title

• Our suspense recs

• We can’t pronounce author names

• Roni’s crush on a loveable (fictional) serial killer

• Our paranormal recs

• Dawn’s trauma from The Exorcist

• Roni realizes she still has a thing for hot vampires

• Stephen King and peer pressure

• Roni tries to sell us on a lizard hero

• Our true crime recs

• The “Scooby-Doo” recs for those who don’t like horror

• Roni’s scary movie recs

• The Lost Boys and why Dawn would happily get lost with any of them

• The movie Roni won’t watch alone

• Our Halloween TV recs

• Podcast recs for the horror and true crime lover

• Our RAD Reading Recs of the week

.

.

.

.

.

Books recommended by Roni:

• No Exit by Taylor Adams

• YOU series by Caroline Kepnes

• Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

• The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

• Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

• “Sour Candy” by Kealan Patrick Burke

• “Sometimes They Come Back” in Night Shift by Stephen King

• The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith (my more extensive review I mentioned)

• Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix

• We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper

• Evil Has a Name by Paul Holes and Jim Clemente

• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

• Halfway to the Grave by Jeannine Frost

• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Books recommended by Dawn:

• The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

• That Last Weekend by Laura DiSilverio

• Ten by Gretchen McNeil (Scary book trailer)

• The Good Demon by Jimmy Cajoleas

• The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

• Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

• Who Killed My Daughter by Lois Duncan

• What If You & Me by Roni Loren (obviously the most fantastic book on this list ;) )

• Ghosts, Pies, & Alibis by Amanda Reid

• Her Halloween Treat by Tiffany Reisz

Other books mentioned:

• Final Girls by Riley Sager

• Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Roni’s Movie/TV Recs:

• Happy Death Day

• The Strangers

• It Follows

• The Babadook

• Classics mentioned: Halloween, Scream, Poltergeist, The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, IT (the 90s miniseries), Alien, The Lost Boys, The Ring

• True Blood

• Scream Queens

• YOU

Dawn’s Movie/TV Recs:

• Stranger Things

• It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

• Community Halloween episodes

Podcast recommendations:

• Books in the Freezer

• The Horror Virgin

• Serial

• Obsessed with Disappeared

• True Crime Obsessed

Other things mentioned:

Shudder streaming channel

RAD Reading Recs of the Week: 

• Standoff by Sandra Brown (Dawn rec)

• Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips (Roni rec)

Check out all of our previous RAD Reading Recs on the RAD Rec page!

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

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!

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.)