This episode may sound familiar, because it is! Tune in for a timely re-release of this older episode where we discuss our favorite banned and challenged books.

This episode felt relevant when we first recorded it, and even more so now. We hope you'll consider adding some of our faves to your TBR in 2025!

Team Abigail:

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Team Emily:

• A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines
• Native Son by Richard Wright
• Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Plus, books we've read lately:

• Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
• Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
• The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

Follow us on Instagram AND Bluesky at @readirectpodcast!

Today, we're putting the ROMA into ROMAntasy with an Onyx Storm deep dive. We yapped for an hour and a half and it still wasn't enough to figure out what happened in this book & theorize what's going to come next.

Join us on this journey with our favorite shadow daddy Xaden & clueless heroine Violet.

Plus, recent reads:

• Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar
• Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli

Plus - follow us on Instagram and Bluesky at @readirectpodcast.

We reflect on our holiday reading experiences and recap our ambitious goals for 2024. Join us as we discuss our favorite books, share insights into reading strategies, and anticipate exciting upcoming releases to fill our TBRs.

Emily's Mentions (we know there were many)

• The Natural Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Never Lie and The Housemaid Series by Freida McFadden
• I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
• Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Abigail's Mentions

• Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon
• Fourth Wing Audiobook on Hoopla
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
• Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

2025 Releases We're Excited About

• Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar
• Onyx Storm by Rebeccas Yarros
• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Join us for a Buddy Read of Onyx Storm on Storygraph! Follow us at @fabigail and @emilyrojasreads. And as always, follow us on Instagram and TikTok (while you still can) at @readirectpodcast! We love you!

Our latest episode revisits the beloved Chronicles of Narnia, focusing particularly on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, exploring its impact on faith, morality, and our childhood memories. Together, we navigate how these themes resonate differently in adulthood, the complexities of C.S. Lewis’s biography, and the cultural conversations surrounding the stories.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Tiktok @readirectpodcast!

In today's episode, we're taking a walk down memory lane for a recap of our reading in 2024!

First, we'll revisit our goals for the year and update you on our successes and failures. Then, we're reviewing our five-star reads from 2024 (hint: Abigail is a little more judicious with this honor than Emily). Finally, we'll give you our BEST tips for success in 2025!

Books we've read recently...

Abigail

• Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand
• Under the Mistletoe Series

Emily

• A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
• The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
• Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram & TikTok at @readirectpodcast!

SIGN UP FOR OUR HOLIDAY BOOK SWAP: Click here to participate!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for your book-obsessed friend? Look no further, we're here to guide you this year!

Listen to this episode to find the perfect gift for...

• The coastal grandmother in your life
• The goal-oriented, resolution-setter
• The person who's committed to protecting their peace
• The fired-up advocate
• The fan-fiction obsessed friend
• The Bridgerton fan who's looking to move into the modern era

And give us a gift by leaving a five-star review and following us on TikTok and Instagram!

Recent Reads:

• Conclave by Robert Harris
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
• The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

In preparation for the upcoming movie adaptation of beloved musical, Wicked, we're reading the source material by Gregory Maguire!

Let's just be honest, we're not the biggest fans of this book, so if it's one of your beloveds please know we're approaching this with a critical eye. Fair warning! We love the musical, and we're apprehensively excited for the movie adaptation.

For more on the Wizard of Oz curse, read this article from Time.

As always, let us know your thoughts on our TikTok or Instagram at @readirectpodcast.

Escape your Election Day anxiety by exploring an imaginary world where book characters run for office!

As always, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @readirectpodcast. And if you're seeing this before the polls close, don't forget to VOTE!