Shows
The Great ObsessionMID-FEB VIBE CHECK | the brooms were too sweepyCanadian scandals, questionable adaptations, and a discovery of pop/rock foundations.05:34:68 BooksWuthering Heights13:54:03 Movies:Wuthering HeightsJazz on a Summer’s Day (Youtube)The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)Train Dreams (Netflix)Sentimental Value Frankenstein (Netflix) 39:38:17 TV:The Super Bowl The OlympicsThe Traitors (US) Derry GirlsHow to Get to heaven From BelfastPoniesThe Burbs1:02:11 Music:23:47:52 Wuthering Heights by Charli XCX 2026 Music Exploration Update:Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The KinksBad BunnyFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2026-02-171h 18The Great Obsession10 SONGS THAT DEFINED US | female artist supremacy!!!Today we're each sharing 10 songs that made us who we are and defined our taste in other media. One song had teenage RiLee was doing devious behaviors to hear it again, while another had Sam acting out entire stories alone in her bedroom. A lot was exposed on this journey.Click here for a Spotify playlist of all the songs mentioned.Or, here they are listed:Big Star - Kenny ChesneyVivaldi's Four Seasons: Winter Witchcraft - Frank SinatraYou Belong With Me - Taylor SwiftOnly The Beginning Of The...
2026-02-101h 32The Great ObsessionFEB 2026 VIBE CHECK | we barely survived january9:07:54 BooksNormal People by Sally Rooney21:44:41 Movies:People we meet on vacationOne Battle after AnotherThe Secret Mall Apartment The Alabama SolutionHOMECOMING: a film by Beyonce50:33:16 TV:The Traitors (US) Nobody Wants T his Tell Me LiesRHOSLC Bridgerton 1:21:14 Music:Aperture by Harry StylesNormal People TV soundtrackHeated Rivalry TV soundtrack DjoUpcoming:RobynCharli XCX Withering HeightsOlympics Super bowlFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2026-02-031h 33The Great ObsessionREADING 1-STAR REVIEWS OF BOOKS WE LOVE | do goodreads users deserve rights?For some reason we decided today we should rile ourselves up by reading haters' opinions of our favorite books. Fortunately a lot of them were funny, and several raised thought-provoking points we maybe couldn't argue with. We sure did try though.This episode is mostly spoiler-free, but there are mentions of general themes and characters in some of the books.FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2026-01-271h 22The Great ObsessionMID-JAN 2026 VIBE CHECK | rilees never seen a meg ryan movieIt is our first mid-month vibe check and 2026 is off to a strong start3:53:55 BooksThe Long Game by Rachel Reid Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab 9:53:76 Movies:Wake Up Dead Man - Knives Out 3 People We Meet on VacationWhen Harry Met SallyStranger Things documentaryMy Octopus Teacher37:27:53 TV:Tell Me Lies RHOSLC911 Nashville Chernobyl The TraitorsPercy Jackson1:10:32 MusicHarry Styles album announcement1:14:36 Watchlist Bridgerton S4 (Jan 29)FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads &
2026-01-201h 19The Great Obsession2026 PREVIEW | the year of the book-to-screen adaptationToday we're sharing our 2026 release radar for books, movies, TV and music! This is a SPOILER FREE episode. There is a lot we're looking forward to, but also a lot we will probably read/watch against our will. All titles mentioned are below.Books:Beth Is Dead by Katie BernetHalf His Age by Jennette McCurdyThe Sun and the Starker by Rachel GriffinA Stage Set For Villains by Shannon J. SpannAgnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather FawcettThe Summer of Second Chances by K.L. WaltherAmerican Fantasy by Emma StraubThe Lion and the Deathless...
2026-01-131h 14The Great ObsessionJANUARY VIBE CHECK | ilya rozanov call usWelcome to 2026!!!7:47 Heated Rivalry book/TV show24:52 BooksTill We Have Faces by CS LewisWuthering HeightsCareless People by Sarah Win Williams34:10 Movies: EternityMarty SupremeThe HousemaidAvatar: Fire and AshWuthering Heights 199256:48 TVStranger thingsPercy JacksonFleabag 1:14 MusicThat’s Showbiz Baby by Jade1:18:45 Release RadarPeople We Meet on Vacation (Jan 9 on Netflix)Bridgerton S4 (Jan 9 on Netflix)Send Help (Jan 30 in theaters) Twinless (Jan 16 on Hulu)Wonder Man (Jan 27 on Disney+)FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads &
2026-01-061h 25The Great ObsessionBEST (AND WORST) OF 2025 | year of the flopIt's our favorite time of the year! This episode could also be titled "The Great Obsession Awards" because we have nominees, we have winners, and we have flops. Join us for a roundup of all the most memorable books, movies, TV, and pop culture moments we got from 2025.TIMESTAMPS:(02:50) Books(30:07) Movies(38:31) TV(01:02:42) Boy of the Year(01:10:42) Pop CultureFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-12-301h 32The Great ObsessionWILD REVERENCE | why aren't we heralding?There were a lot of mixed feelings on this one. We read Rebecca Ross' latest release, Wild Reverence, the prequel to the Divine Rival series. Rating: 6/100:00 - Intro8:17 - One Minute Reviews (spoiler free)13:10 - Spoiler ReviewFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-12-241h 09The Great ObsessionBOY OF THE YEAR 2025 | a hottie-off showdown extravaganza16 boys. 1 winner. And like 5 flops. It's showdown time! We had so many good candidates for our "white boy of the year" that we expanded it into an episode (and expanded outside of white boys, lol). Our boys go head-to-head in a bracket until we get a winner based on performance, charisma, permeation of pop culture, and mostly vibes.This episode is spoiler free!FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-12-1749 minThe Great Obsession2025 READS | shockingly no dudsIt is that time of year again! Here is our roundup episode of all the books we read on the pod in 2025.Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Onyx Storm, Bad Mormon, Legendborn, The Unmaking of June Farrow, The God of the Woods, Sunrise On The Reaping, Deep End, Great Big Beautiful Life, The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea, We Were Liars, Atmosphere, Project Hail Mary, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, Legends and Lattes, The Woman In Cabin 10, Alchemy of Secrets, The Housemaid, and MateFIND US AT:In...
2025-12-091h 06The Great ObsessionDECEMBER VIBE CHECK | the secret lives of stranger things for goodHappy December! RiLee did a lot of reading, Sam did a lot of movie-watching, and new releases like Wicked have given us much to discuss. Today's vibe check is spoiler free besides one minor Wicked spoiler, which we warn you before sharing.(00:00) Intro & life updates kiki(11:55) Reading ReportThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie BarrowsFamily of Liars by E. LockhartBeth Is Dead by Katie BernetA Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross(24:02) MoviesThe Running ManNow You See Me: Now You Don'tRental FamilyWicked...
2025-12-021h 05The Great ObsessionMATE | for the team jacob girliesDelayed gratification, cults, and meaningful sex. For our November book club we read Mate by Ali Hazelwood and loved it! 0:00 Intro4:37: One Minute Reviews and non-spoiler discussion10:01 Spoiler DiscussionRating: 7.5/10FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-11-251h 09The Great ObsessionTHE HOUSEMAID | a series of ridiculously convenient eventsWe love to read a mega-hyped Booktok book with an upcoming movie adaptation, so naturally we HAD to pick up The Housemaid and see what Freida McFadden is all about. In today's review we discuss the insanity of the plot, whether or not we predicted the twists, and our thoughts on the choice to adapt this to film. Did this one live up to the hype? (Spoiler alert: they almost never do.)Our 1-minute reviews and initial ratings start at (16:46). Full spoiler discussion starts at (20:00).FIND US AT:
2025-11-111h 32The Great ObsessionNOVEMBER VIBE CHECK | evan peters white boy of 2025???Preemptive apologies, we both are getting over some sickness so this episode is full of croaky voices and throat clearing...celebs, we are just like everyone else. Even though we were sick and busy we actually managed to have a lot of content to cover. Thankfully, RiLee was still chronically online when we recorded this. Check back in next month to see if she has an identity crisis during November!0:00 - Life Updates 20:29 - Book ReviewMurderland by Caroline FraserDungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanSlewfoot by Gerald BoomThe Guernsey Literary and P...
2025-11-041h 29The Great ObsessionALCHEMY OF SECRETS | does her sister even exist?Welcome to our October book club! We're so glad you voted for this one because it means the Stephanie Garber girls are still with us. Garber's long-awaited adult debut is here and it gave us so much to talk about... love interests, time-travel magic, mysterious objects, folklore and more!Spoiler discussion starts at (14:05).FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-10-2853 minThe Great ObsessionTHE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 FILM | rough seas aheadFollowing our review of the book The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware we are back to discuss Netflix's movie adaptation and unfortunately, this was more of a Titanic experience than a Love Boat experience. This was not our favorite movie adaptation and the majority of our discussion focuses on questionable deviations (and spoilers!) from the book. Into Netflix's woman-verse we go...TIMESTAMPS: 2:32- Book Discussion Begins4:35 - Spoilers and One Minute Reviews FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads &
2025-10-2158 minThe Great ObsessionOCTOBER VIBE CHECK | please free us from football seasonWe've lived many lives since September and we are finally here to report on them!(03:21) Reading ReportVicious by V.E. SchwabEmma by Jane Austen(10:01) Watch Report - MoviesDownton Abbey - The Grand FinaleThe Breakfast ClubRear WindowUnknown Number: The High School CatfishDemon Slayer: Infinity CastleKPop Demon HuntersThe Pixar StoryThe Long WalkWhen Harry Met Sally(41:10) Watch Report - TVWednesday - Season 2Great British Bake Off - Season 16Only Murders In The BuildingThe Real Housewives of Salt Lake City - Season 6Current NFL...
2025-10-141h 13The Great ObsessionTHE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL | the resident Taylor scholar is inShe is finally here! Taylor Swift has birthed her 12th child and we are here to discuss it. In this episode we cover our first thoughts on the album, the album theatre release and discuss each track in detail. From cringey lyrics to hidden lore, we've got it all. Unfortunately, the word schlong is thrown out...that's showbiz baby!FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-10-071h 47The Great ObsessionTHE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 | reads like a reddit threadA hysterical woman no one believes??? What an unreal, never before read story! Jokes. All tropes aside, we had fun discussing The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware and RiLee's Reddit habits. 0:00 - General Discussion7:40 - One Minute Reviews (spoilers)10:44 - Detailed Book DiscussionRating: 6/10FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-09-301h 02The Great ObsessionTHE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY S3 | are we out of the woods yet?Jenny Han had us in a chokehold all the way through that finale. We're crying because it's over. Smiling because it happened. And also raising our eyebrows because... what the hell was that?This episode contains spoilers for the entirety of seasons 1-3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Today we're discussing primarily episodes 7-11 of season 3. For our thoughts on episodes 1-6, Listen Here!FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-09-231h 09The Great ObsessionLEGENDS & LATTES | a spokane shoutout??We are FULLY committing to the fall season and leaning into all our cozy impulses (even if it is 90 degrees in Texas). In the spirit of coziness and frankly limited mental bandwidth we are reading Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, the ultimate relaxing vibe. FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-09-1658 minThe Great ObsessionGUESS THE BOOK BY THE FIRST LINE | lame revolutions, exploding demons, and who tf is Joost??Today's game showed us that some authors open their books with a bang, and others...well... go girl give us nothing. We had a great time either way, and we hope you do too! Most of these lines are from books we've covered on the pod, so play along with us and see if your memory is better than ours. (It probably is.)This episode is completely spoiler-free, unless you consider knowing the opening scene of a book to be a spoiler, in which case that's an L for you.
2025-09-0951 minThe Great ObsessionSEPTEMBER VIBE CHECK | a love letter to jawsAugust was BUSY. 7:29:45 BooksYellowface by RF KuangThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaightCareless People by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsThe Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood36:52Caught StealingETEmmaFreaky FridayFreakier FridayJaws1:01:57 TVThe Summer I Turned Pretty (brief) Popstart AcademyLove Island ReunionWednesday pt 1Only Murders in the BuildingDept Q1:17:43 MusicTaylor SwiftMan’s Best Friend - Sabrina CarpenterOlivia Dean (Sept 26) 1:26:55 Upcoming Chad PowersWednesday pt 2Downton AbbeyFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-09-021h 30The Great ObsessionA WITCH'S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING | coming of age, but in your 30s?Welcome to our August book club! This was the perfect book to get us in a cozy fall mood as we transition to a new season. Whimsy, witches and found family will do it for us every time!(00:00 - 04:04) Intro & drinks (04:05 - 13:46) Spoiler-free discussion, 1-minute reviews and initial ratings(13:47 - 01:02:21) Spoiler discussion & full reviewFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-08-271h 02The Great ObsessionLATE SUMMER CHECK IN | costco pls sponsor usYou are showgirl! Im a showgirl! We are all showgirls!! In this episode we cover our latest thoughts on the Summer I Turned Pretty S3 (through ep 6) and of course, the big T Swift announcement, as well as a roundup of all our anticipated watches and reads over the next month. 7:52: The Summer I Turned Pretty S3 (Contains spoilers for episodes 1-6 of S3, as well as S1 and S2)36:09 Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl announcement 55:37 Watchlist55:52 TVWednesday part 2 - Sept 3RHOSLC - Sept 16C...
2025-08-191h 08The Great ObsessionMEDIA THAT MOVED US...ROMANTICALLY | to all the broken boys who yearnAfter last week's discussion of sexual awakenings and Speed Racer (2008), our most all-consuming fictional crushes are at the forefront of our minds. We learn things about each other in this episode... RiLee even reads from her middle school diary.SPOILER WARNINGS: The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot, Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-08-121h 10The Great ObsessionAUGUST VIBE CHECK | the girls yearn for speed racer (2008)This month we have another in-person recording (!!!) accompanied by a bottle of grocery store wine. Enjoy a wide range of topics...(03:32) READING REPORT: The Counselors by Jessica Goodman(07:13) WATCH REPORT: F1, Superman, Fantastic Four, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Tron (1982), Kpop Demon Hunters, LuLaRich, Love Island S7, Happy Gilmore 2(35:50) CHAOS(43:06) MUSIC: Addison Rae, Justin Bieber - SWAG, Chappell Roan - The Subway, Kpop Demon Hunters, Katseye(55:30) AUGUST WATCHLIST: The Summer I Turned Pretty S3, Wednesday S2, Perfect Match S3FIND US AT:
2025-08-0557 minThe Great ObsessionPROJECT HAIL MARY | a marvel movie of a book (complimentary)We finally sat down and read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir(slightly too late to avoid movie trailer spoilers)! We discuss the importance of feeling the emotions of a book, loving aliens, and RiLee gets heated while talking linguistics and the fine details of translation work. Rating: 7/10FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-07-291h 02The Great ObsessionWE WERE LIARS SEASON 1 | gut punches and sufferingAfter much emotional damage, we are here to review season one of We Were Liars on Amazon Prime. And girls, this was GOOD! We're talking characters, casting, favorite scenes, changes from the book to the adaptation, and more.Discussion and spoilers begin at (8:00). Full spoilers for both the TV series and the book by E. Lockhart.FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-07-221h 32The Great ObsessionGUESS THE BOOK BY THE REVIEW | plus lightning fun factsThis episode we play a little game of Guess the Book from the book review. Sometimes we get stumped and some reviews are truly unhinged. Play along and let us know if we are incredible at this game or if we totally suck because honestly could be either one. 0:00 How to not get struck by lightening 8:05 Life Updates11:45 Love Island Spoilers 17:17 Explaining the game Guess the Book21:26 Finally getting started with the actual game FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee
2025-07-151h 03The Great ObsessionATMOSPHERE | taylor jenkins reid has a way with wordsWelcome to our belated June book club! Today we're reviewing Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a longtime favorite author of ours. We're talking the space race, complicated families, favorite side characters, and how this story compares to TJR's other books.(00:00 - 15:32) Intro & life updates kiki(15:33 - 27:24) Spoiler-free discussion & initial ratings(27:24 - end) Spoiler discussion & full reviewFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-07-081h 13The Great ObsessionJULY VIBE CHECK | kittens and edmSurprise! After our impromptu two week break we are back! We have a lot of life updates to share on this one including RiLee's recap of her time at the Electric Forest and a full Love Island debrief. 36:30 BooksEvery Summer After by Carly FortuneFor She is Wrath by Emily Varga44:32 MoviesThe last repair shop The materialistsHowls moving castleHow to train your dragon57:40 TVDoctor WhoAmericas sweethearts: making the dcc teamLove island1:16:05 Upcoming:We were liarsThe Ultimatum: queer lovePerfect MatchSecret Lives of Mo...
2025-07-011h 33The Great ObsessionWE WERE LIARS | when a twist goes a little too hardTo prepare for the TV series coming out, we read the 2014 Tumblr classic We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. For one of us this was a reread, while the other got to experience that insane twist ending for the first time. Suffice it to say we went on a JOURNEY.TIME STAMPS: (0:00) Housekeeping & life updates (10:58) 1-minute reviews and non-spoiler discussion (20:37) Full spoiler discussion begins.RATING: 6.25 / 10FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-06-101h 22The Great ObsessionJUNE VIBE CHECK | secret lives of mormon sinners (rilee)This is a chaos episode that we pregamed with a bottle of wine, so buckle up and get ready. Topics include: Books:Carrie Soto is BackInvisible WomenLessons in ChemistryBloodmarkedMoviesSinnersLilo and StitchHoward (diseny+)TVSecret Lives of Mormon WivesBelow Deck Down Under911/The RookieTBRThe BearThe MaterialistsBallerina - John WickAtmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidUnhoneymooners by Christina LaurenLove and other words by Christina LaurenDont Let Him In by Lisa JewellFIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads
2025-06-031h 38The Great ObsessionTHE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA | if studio ghibli was a bookWelcome to our May book club! Korean folklore, melodramatic teenagers, and the chance to change your fate are among the discussion topics for our review of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh. One of us enjoyed this book a lot less than the other, which gave us a lot to sink our teeth into as we tried to figure out why.Rating: 5.75 / 10FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-05-271h 00The Great ObsessionSUMMER TBR AND RECS | we are actually begging you read fableSUMMER IS HERE!!! To celebrate we've pulled together what might be our longest TBR list yet (we were VERY optimistic about our reading goals). In this episode we discuss books from every genre, nonfiction to thriller to romance and even some books we pulled out from childhood. 08:17 Anticipated reads: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidBury our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE SchwabA Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu BandannaKatabasis by RF Kuang24:24 Summer TBR: Just for the Summer by Abby JimenezPeople We Meet on Vacation by Emily HenryLessons in Chemistry by Bonn...
2025-05-201h 06The Great ObsessionGREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE | it's like reverse evelyn hugoEmily Henry's new book is here and it's got major mixed reviews, inspiring major mixed feelings in our review. Is it insta-love, or the greatest romance ever written? We talk through the arcs of our 3 main characters to figure it out, then fancast them in the end for funsies.This episode contains full spoilers for Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, but no spoilers for any of her other books. No spoilers for Evelyn Hugo either, despite the title.FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.com...
2025-05-131h 03The Great ObsessionMAY VIBE CHECK | from menopause to minecraftApril was filled with research and reddit spirals for us and it shows. This might be our most varied episode yet, from horror movies to non-fiction about women's medicine we cover it all. This is a spoiler free episode.3:01 May Book ClubGreat Big Beautiful Life by Emily HenryThe Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh4:41 May Release RadarLilo and Stitch7:24 BooksWild Love by Elsie SilverRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltBloodmarked by Tracey DeonInvisible women by Caroline Criado-Perez 20:16 Music and PodcastsArmchair expertReferenced M...
2025-05-061h 15The Great ObsessionDEEP END | secondhand embarrassment, smut, & surprisingly good therapyMaybe the real smut was the coming of age we experienced along the way. Welcome to our April book club! We're discussing Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, which we thought would be pure smut, but was actually more about the canon event of getting humbled at age 21. (There was still plenty of smut though, don't worry.)Spoiler discussion starts at (10:21).FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-04-291h 11The Great ObsessionHOT TAKES | stop calling yourself a GryffindorFinally, we get to do what we do best....hate. Get ready to sit down and fill your glass full of haterade becuase we are sharing our hottest takes, from literary throuples and baby on board stickers to self-help book icks and romantasy death threats. If you disagree with any of our takes, fight us in the comments.This episode is spoiler free. FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-04-221h 27The Great ObsessionSUNRISE ON THE REAPING | we know too much!Greek tragedies, Gothic novels, fanfiction, and Edgar Allen Poe are all in the room with us today. Sunrise on the Reaping contains multitudes. We're covering themes that stood out to us like propaganda, grief and fate, and discussing the characters that make this story feel like it could be real life. Thanks to our friend and fellow Hunger Games fan Abby Tree for joining us!Spoiler discussion starts at (23:14).FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-04-151h 36The Great ObsessionVIBE CHECK CONT'D | recession pop and flop celebrity podcastsIn today's music and pop culture kiki: recession pop is back, Justin Bieber is threatening new music, Call Her Daddy is going downhill, and Sam and RiLee have two different takes on something for once. We also share our spring release radar. No spoilers this week, but here are your timestamps:(08:30) Tate McRae - So Close to What(11:33) Lady Gaga - Mayhem (22:20) Selena Gomez - I Said I Love You First(32:47) Chappell Roan & Lizzo singles(36:28) Music Release RadarSam's Podcast Roundup: (41:45) Chicks in the Office
2025-04-081h 06The Great ObsessionREADING SLUMP BUSTERS | for when you need to prove your brain still worksAre you emerging from your winter bed rot, wondering if your brain is still capable of doing more than just doom scrolling? Are you worried you've lost the love of reading forever? Well in this episode we give spoiler free recs for the books that pulled us out of our worst reading slumps and reignited our confidence in reading. These may not be the best books you've ever read (in fact we can almost guarantee you they aren't), but they will be captivating and easy enough to make you remember that your brain works after all.
2025-03-181h 14The Great ObsessionTHE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW | the foreboding air of rural southern townsAdrienne Young has done it again with her immersive and atmospheric stories, this time in the oppressive summer heat of 1950s North Carolina. There's a lot going on in this story... magical realism, madness, romance, and even a murder mystery! We're reviewing it all today, so come for the thoughtful discussion and stay for Sam's Eamon fancast.Spoiler discussion starts at (13:01).FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-03-111h 14The Great ObsessionMARCH VIBE CHECK | thoughtful reads & trash tv...the duality of manFebruary was a short month but somehow contained multitudes. RiLee is blindly watching Love is Blind and also blindly reading books she should have vetted beforehand. Sam is getting into My Hero Academia, but realizes it's unfinished and has to cope with more trashy dating shows. We're very ready for winter to be SO OVER.SPOILER WARNINGS: Temptation Island US Season 5, Love Is Blind US Season 8 Episodes 1-6(07:27) Reading ReportI'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdyThe Secret History by Donna TarttJames by Percival EverettButcher & Blackbird by...
2025-03-041h 28The Great ObsessionLEGENDBORN | the audacity of men (but never selwyn)Dont mind us and our ugly crying, we are just discussing Tracy Deonn's Legendborn. This book is one of the best we've discussed on the pod and will be a contender for the best book of 2025. In this episode we take our time to dive into how original the magic system is and how brilliantly Tracy Deonn weaves in the book's theme.Rating: 9/10 FIND US AT:Instagram: @thegreatobsessionpodEmail: thegreatobsessionpod@gmail.comRiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-02-251h 29The Great ObsessionBAD MORMON | basically just spilling mormonism teaToday's wild card episode is about how Heather Gay's Bad Mormon exists in a context, and it's a context we know A LOT about. Our thoughts on this book lead us into conversation about Mormonism in media, particularly shows like RHOSLC and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and how these play into the public's fascination with this particular religion.This episode contains light spoilers for Bad Mormon by Heather Gay and the show Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu. Our conversation is more focused on Mormonism in media rather than specific events in...
2025-02-181h 28The Great ObsessionPRIDE AND PREJUDICE (2005) | the ultimate comfort filmAt the root of today's discussion is this question: Is there a superior adaptation of Pride and Prejudice? We're focusing our conversation on the 2005 adaptation and what makes it such a perfect film, despite being technically less faithful to the book. After all, the hand flex and the boiled potatoes were not in the book... but where would we be today without them?SPOILER WARNINGS:Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1995) starring Colin Firth, and Pride and Prejudice (2005) starring Kiera Knightley are all spoiled in this episode.
2025-02-1157 minThe Great ObsessionFEBRUARY VIBE CHECK | listen for sam's nic cage impressionWe survived January! The month that never seemed to end!! There's a lot of variety in what we consumed in January. From Real Housewives to movies middle school boys love, we've got something for everyone.
(05:01) Reading Report
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Bad Mormon by Heather Gay
Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
(43:44) Watch Report - Movies
Drive-Away Dolls
Babygirl
Spirited Away
Kiki's Delivery...
2025-02-041h 30The Great ObsessionONYX STORM | a love letter to ridoc gamlynWelcome back to the Empyrean! Every single character in this ENTIRE world is going to be mentioned in the first 20 pages. Hope you figure it out! By the way, we made up a new villain out of nowhere and we're going to the Poptropica islands. Thankfully we have Ridoc and Garrick to carry us the entire way.
This episode contains spoilers for the entirety of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, along with the two books that precede it. Book discussion starts at (06:49) and spoilers start at (16:09). Thanks for coming to our January book club!
2025-01-281h 39The Great Obsession2025 TBR AND WATCHLIST | where’s the new music?Suzanne Collins! Stranger Things! Unicorns! Here's everything that's on our radar for 2025. We've got a lot of new books we are looking forward to and some questionable live action movies we are not.
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2025-01-211h 13The Great ObsessionEMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES | who actually journals this much?For our December Book Club we read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, which turned out not to be an encyclopaedia at all! (We were confused at first.) This whimsical tale was a very unique read for us and we're OBSESSED with Wendell Bambleby. Tune in for our thoughts on the journal entry writing style, Emily's unreliable narration, Wendell's weird cleanliness quirk, and more!
Rating: 8 / 10
This episode contains spoilers for the book starting at (10:32). The second book Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is also mentioned, but...
2025-01-071h 08The Great ObsessionBEST OF 2024 | guess who drank the hateradeIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....2024 is wrapping up so here is our annual Best Of spoiler free episode. From books to pop culture we share our top picks and our biggest flops.
Titles discussed:
Albums: Don't Forget Me by Maggie Rogers, Short and Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, MEGAN by Megan the Stallion, Vertigo by GRIFF, TTPD by Taylor Swift, BRAT by Charli XCX, Sugar Water by Maude Latour, and Cowboy Carter by Beyonce. Flops: Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves, Radical Optimism by Dua Lipa, and 143 by Katy Perry
2024-12-241h 28The Great ObsessionRANKING OUR 2024 READS | speak on it!This could also be called our 2024 Year In Review: Book Edition. We're tier ranking all 20 books we read for the podcast this year and reflecting on which ones impacted us most. This episode is spoiler free, but we still opine AT LENGTH about some of these books so buckle in!
Tiers explained starting at (07:17) and actual ranking starts at (08:33).
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-12-171h 09The Great ObsessionTHE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE | is rilee a pastor?Growing up is realizing you are actually an Edmund, not a Lucy. In this episode we discuss the movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis iconic The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. We discuss the way our perception of the story and characters has changed, the movie 's stunning visuals, and quality casting. Also, Will Poulter's glow up.
Contains spoilers for the entire Chronicles of Narnia series.
Rating: 7.5/10
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-12-101h 13The Great ObsessionDECEMBER VIBE CHECK | holiday reads & holding space for defying gravityOur November reading & watch report is in there somewhere... along the way we get into some C.S. Lewis vs. J.R.R. Tolkien discourse we have no business having, plus some impassioned hateration about live action remakes and lots of confusion about The Inheritance Games series. Oh, and we loved Wicked!
(06:38) Reading Report
Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk (08:06)
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell (14:06)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (19:17)
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber (23:17)
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (25:24)
The Witch Wedding by Erin Sterling (31:19)
The...
2024-12-031h 32The Great ObsessionA RIVER ENCHANTED | made in the a.m.For our 100TH EPISODE (!!!) we discuss Rebecca Ross' A River Enchanted and once again we are blown away by the nuance and depth Rebecca Ross weaves into her writing. This time we are swept away to the Scottish isles full of wind spirits and music, with enough relatable challenges to go around.
Our Rating: 8.25
This episode contains references to Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, but no spoilers.
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-11-261h 09The Great ObsessionSMASH OR PASS...AGAIN | i like the spikesOn this episode we bring you another Smash or Pass, only this time we are joined by special guest Abby Tree and our options get progressively more unhinged. We encourage listeners to play along with us and ultimately ask themselves who is hotter...Lightening McQueen or a fish?
There are no major spoilers except for things you should have already seen such as Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, the Hunger Games, Twilight, and of course, Cars.
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Ri...
2024-11-191h 23The Great ObsessionTWILIGHT | revisiting the shockingly enduring adaptationCinematic. Campy. Absurd. Ahead of its time. We're revisiting a CLASSIC for this month's adaptation review, and if you're having deja vu, it's because Twilight is also the subject of our first ever episode! While we previously discussed the franchise as a whole, our focus in today's episode is the first Twilight movie and how it compares to the book.
Our first Twilight episode is here: The Franchise That Raised Us
SPOILER WARNINGS:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - We're discussing spoilers for the whole book as well as...
2024-11-121h 18The Great ObsessionNOVEMBER VIBE CHECK | is this what it feels like to do drugs?We recorded this pre election, so enjoy an escape into the blissful past...
(02:50) October overview - a busy month!
(07:55) Reading Report
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
(20:00) Watch Report - Movies
The Haunted Mansion
The Corpse Bride
Saturday Night
Megalopolis
The Wild Robot
We Live in Time
My Father's Will (again... b/c RiLee watched it LOL)
(42:10) Watch Report - TV
Great British Bake Off
Love is Blind S7
Agatha All Along
Nobody Wants This
RHOSLC & RHONY
A Discovery of Witches
(1:07:00) Music
2024-11-061h 26The Great ObsessionNINTH HOUSE | 'tis i, the evil one!Welcome to our October book club (SHHH we know it's November rn)! Leigh Bardugo's first venture into adult fantasy is quite jarring with its dark setting, unsettling rituals and bleak outlook on life... and we loved it. Mostly.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, rape & sexual assault, murder, gore, drug addiction, death and suicide.
SPOILER WARNINGS: Spoiler discussion for Ninth House begins at (13:03). We do vaguely reference themes in Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Tracy Deonn's Legendborn, but no actual spoilers for those...
2024-11-051h 23The Great ObsessionHEARTSTOPPER S3 | why are we like this? ft. Abby TreeOur resident Heartstopper stan Abby Tree is back to talk with us about the newest season! We love that this show leans into the awkwardness of teenage experiences, and we wonder... do British teens really do party that much?
Content Warnings: We discuss the heavier themes depicted in this season, specifically the topics of disordered eating and depression.
Spoiler Warnings: This episode contains spoilers for all 3 seasons of Netflix's Heartstopper adaptation, as well as all of Alice Oseman's graphic novels through volume 5.
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2024-10-221h 21The Great ObsessionA GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER TV SERIES | Ravi can get it!BBC's adaptation of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder has given us more to talk about than expected! The calamity parties are actually entire raves, Max Hastings is wayyy too present, and there's a subplot about Pip's dad for some reason? We're breaking down it all down in today's review.
This episode contains spoilers for the TV adaptation of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, as well as Holly Jackson's book by the same name. We reviewed the book separately in THIS EPISODE.
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2024-10-151h 15The Great ObsessionFMK | Stiles you're always number one in my heartAnother in person episode!! We embrace our chaotic energy and play an unhinged game of Fuck, Marry, Kill. Topics range from beverages to fictional DILFs (Charlie Swan you and your mustache have out hearts forever).
Small spoiler warnings for Throne of Glass, Pretty Little Liars, and Dune.
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-10-081h 04The Great ObsessionOCTOBER VIBE CHECK | cozy fall reads, awful movies, & mormon wivesWake up, September has ended! (03:52) Sam's reading report: The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore, The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (10:46) RiLee's reading report: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham, Pretties and Specials by Scott Westerfeld (26:34) Movies: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Upgraded, My Father's Will (42:15) TV: Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Golden Bachelorette, Agatha All Along (01:07:15) Upcoming releases.
SPOILER WARNINGS:
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (15:23 - 18:40) - We talk about the premise of Bitterblue, the third book in the series, and knowing the premise of Bitterblue will vaguely spoil the e...
2024-10-011h 15The Great ObsessionUGLIES | the matrix for kidsWell, turns out dystopian trilogies are so not back. In this episode we discuss the Uglies and the new Uglies Netflix movie. While RiLee experienced teenage nostalgia revisiting the series, Sam read it for the first time for this episode and has...some thoughts.
This episode contains spoilers for the Uglies film, as well as the entire Uglies trilogy (it came out in 2005, you've had enough time).
Rating: 6.5/10
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-09-241h 37The Great ObsessionA GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER | stay out of the woods, people!Welcome to our September book club! With the Netflix show coming out and spooky season coming up, Holly Jackson's YA thriller A Good Girl's Guide to Murder was the perfect pick. (Thanks listeners for your good taste in our Instagram polls!)
SPOILER WARNINGS:
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson - spoilers start at (23:52)
There are NO spoilers for the TV show or any other books in this series.
RATING: 8 / 10
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2024-09-171h 23The Great ObsessionTAYLOR TUESDAY | rep rants and bad mathThis is the FINAL episode in our Taylor Tuesday series! As Taylor finishes the Europe leg of the tour (without announcing Rep TV i am so bitter!!) we discuss the Eras tour experience and philosophize what could be next for Ms. Taylor Alison Swift.
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-09-1058 minThe Great ObsessionSEPTEMBER VIBE CHECK | pop girl summer ends & sad girl fall beginsIT'S FALL!! And the movie trailers are already giving us nightmares. Today's topics: (2:45) People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry (10:25) Verity by Colleen Hoover (22:30) Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados (28:41) Sam's movie report aka current movies are too scary (32:02) Gilmore Girls (35:05) Love Island USA (36:32) Music report - Sabrina Carpenter's Short 'N Sweet & Maude Latour's Sugar Water (53:13) Our fall release radar.
SPOILER WARNINGS:
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry - Vague references to tropes in the story but no direct spoilers.
Verity by Colleen Hoover - No real spoilers but we do...
2024-09-031h 10The Great ObsessionFABLE | pirates and parental dynamics, oh my!Our August book club is a gorgeous salty seafaring adventure: Fable by Adrienne Young! We begin with a spoiler-free conversation (00:00-10:34) about why you should read this in the summer. Then we dive into Fable's world and her complex relationship with Saint, alongside discussions of tropes, dredging logistics and sailing lingo.
SPOILER WARNINGS: Fable by Adrienne Young from (10:35). No other books in this series are discussed or spoiled.
RATING: 8.75 / 10
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RiLee's Goodreads...
2024-08-271h 21The Great ObsessionIT ENDS WITH US MOVIE | best or worst outfits of all time??*Content Warning* This episode contains discussions involving domestic abuse.
We saw the It Ends With Us Movie had many mixed opinions and much to discuss. Was the writing so bad in the book that we over looked bad writing in the movie?? Is Justin Baldoni the hottest man alive?? Should this movie have even been made??
Spoiler...we don't discuss the cast drama
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2024-08-201h 25The Great ObsessionTAYLOR TUESDAY | a folklore extravaganza!IT'S AUGUST...what more do we need to say? Today we're revisiting our favorite Taylor Swift album, discussing our favorite songs, original reactions to the 2020 drop, and thoughts on Cardigan as a single.
(00:00 - 08:01) Eras Tour Vienna shows cancelled
(08:02 - 01:03:01) Folklore album discussion
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RiLee's Goodreads & Sam's Goodreads
2024-08-131h 03The Great ObsessionAUGUST VIBE CHECK | boys, don't take your girl to see twisters!We've got summer releases GALORE to review today! This month's topics: (04:58) RiLee's reading report - The Inheritance Games, Book Lovers, Fire, Come Fly The World, People We Meet On Vacation (22:33) Sam's watch report: Twisters, Deadpool & Wolverine, Fly Me To The Moon, Gladiator, House of the Dragon S2, Doctor Who on Disney+ (52:30) RiLee's watch report - The Bachelorette, Love Island USA, Derry Girls, the Olympics (1:09:16) August release radar (01:14:10) Charli XCX's Guess ft. Billie Eilish.
NO SPOILER WARNINGS! Today's episode is spoiler free!
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Em...
2024-08-061h 17The Great ObsessionJULY VIBE CHECK | all the reasons rilee is cryingTime for a vibe check, aka our June recap and July release radar! This month's topics: (05:51) Inside Out 2 (19:16) Bike Riders, The Hit Man, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, & The Family Affair (31:46) America’s Sweethearts: Making the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (34:19) House of the Dragon S2 (36:24) RiLee’s reading updates (38:45) Our summer bebop music & Charli XCX's Brat (48:22) July Release Radar.
SPOILER WARNINGS:
Inside Out 2 (05:51 - 19:15) - No major plot points but we do discuss 3 specific scenes in the movie.
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2024-07-0953 minThe Great ObsessionPERFECT MATCH S2 | has netflix cracked the code?Ok so not our book club ep...but this series took us by STORM. In the first half of this episode we dive into why this show had us gagged from the first episode and how netflix is the face of modern reality tv. Second half of the episode is just us yapping about S2 and RiLee spilling the reddit tea
Spoilers for S2 begin at 32:00
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2024-06-251h 27The Great ObsessionBEACH READ | a surprising lack of beachWe finally take the leap into romantic fiction and Emily Henry. Tune in to hear us discuss the reasons Sonya should be punched in the face, the questionable locations of sex, and the shaming of RiLee for not knowing any Nicholas Sparks.
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2024-04-301h 04The Great ObsessionTTPD & THE ANTHOLOGY | review + breakdownCome one, come all, it's happening again INDEED! Taylor Swift is back with a double album that's immediately a sacred text in this establishment. We're sharing our early interpretations of The Tortured Poets Department & The Anthology with a top-level approach, exploring some themes that run through the album(s) as a whole, then digging into specific songs we believe to be standouts.
Link to RiLee's song-by-song reaction and breakdown: @rileerosetta > "TTPD reaction" story highlight
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2024-04-231h 29The Great ObsessionMEDIA THAT SHAPED US | but in a bad wayThis episode started out as fun spoiler free ride and turned into RiLee and Sam confessing their childhood fears. Tune in to find out what movies we lied about enjoying and what required elementary school reading left us horrified. (Note this episode is not scary but we do discuss things that scare us so maybe don't listen right before bed???)
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2024-04-161h 34The Great ObsessionTHE STOLEN HEIR | fun, but in a twisted way?We're not sure which way goat legs bend, but we love Oak's little horns and Wren's entire blue monster girl vibe. Now that Sam has finally read The Stolen Heir, there's much to discuss as RiLee has been sitting on her thoughts for a year!
This episode contains spoilers for The Stolen Heir by Holly Black, as well as the entire Folk of the Air trilogy. That includes The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing. There are NO spoilers for The Prisoner's Throne as we haven't read it yet.
2024-04-021h 04The Great ObsessionSMASH OR PASS | i can fix himHere is another (almost) spoiler free episode where RiLee and Sam play Smash or Pass with some truly off the wall fictional characters and literary tropes. Warning this episode is 60% laughter and 40% yapping.
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2024-03-261h 17The Great ObsessionBOOKS THAT ALTERED OUR BRAIN CHEMISTRY | is rilee better than everyone???This episode is a crash course in the history of RiLee and Sam. We expose ourselves as fans of pioneer children and one direction fanfics. Which one of us is a horse girl and which one is the fairy freak?? Listen to find out.
We try to keep this ep spoiler free but if a book has been out for more than a decade you should've read it and spoilers dont count.
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2024-03-191h 31The Great ObsessionBRIDE | we were "knot" expecting that...Sam finds many parallels to Teen Wolf fanfiction, RiLee does some creepy voice impressions, and the Omegaverse comes up for some reason. It's safe to say Ali Hazelwood really surprised us with this one...
This episode contains spoilers for Bride by Ali Hazelwood. We also forgot to share final ratings at the end, so just know we agreed later on a 7.5 / 10.
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2024-03-121h 01The Great ObsessionDUNE Pt 2 | lets get spicyPower over spice, is power over all BITCH! Your resident Reverend Mothers (aka RiLee and Sam) have long anticipated this film and have much to say. We even manage to string together one or two intellectual thots. We discuss our experience seeing this book come to life on screen and how the film adaptation compares. This is a great episode if you are less familiar about the literary side of Dune and are curious about where this adaptation sits with the source material.
This episode contains spoilers for the films Dune part 1 and part two, as well...
2024-03-051h 20The Great ObsessionDIVINE RIVALS | roman can catfish me anytimeWith complex characters, a striking take on war themes, and a romance that makes us GIDDY, this might be our favorite book of 2023. We discuss what makes this story perfect, RiLee speculates on the ending, and Sam gets so hype she changes her final rating.
This episode contains spoilers for Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. We do NOT spoil Ruthless Vows - we haven't read it yet. That's next week!
Rating: 8.75 / 10
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2023-12-261h 08The Great Obsession2023 YEAR IN REVIEW | deeply chaotic and unseriousTime to revisit this year's greatest hits and biggest flops. Sam can't remember anything from her "favorite" nonfiction read, RiLee can't tell when movie CGI is bad, and we both feel the inexplicable pull of Jack Harlow.
The only spoiler in this episode is for the ending of Avengers: Endgame. (By now, you should know.)
Titles mentioned (by category):
Albums - Stick Season by Noah Kahan, GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana del Rey, Unreal Unearth by Hozier, 1989 (TV...
2023-12-201h 22The Great ObsessionCOZY CHRISTMAS READS | maximizing our holiday vibesWe're kicking off December with our SPOILER-FREE holiday book recommendations! We have suggestions from several different genres, all of which will pair optimally with a hot cocoa and large blanket. Listen to the end to hear Sam's least favorite holiday book, since even when we're being festive she can't resist being a hater.
Titles mentioned:
Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Christmas Bookshop - Jenny Colgan
The Princess Present - Meg Cabot
The Guernsey Literary and Potato...
2023-12-0549 minThe Great ObsessionHEARTSTOPPER | you're gay! and YOU'RE gay! and YOU'RE ALL gay! ft. Abby TreeThis week we're blessed with the return of special guest Abby Tree to talk about Heartstopper! While Sam is away on vacation, Abby is here as guest co-host and resident Heartstopper expert to share her wealth of fandom knowledge as we discuss character storylines and our favorite scenes. Listen to find out if we think Charlie sent THE text at the end of the finale!
This episode contains spoilers for both seasons 1 and 2 of Heartstopper on Netflix. We also mention things that happen in the comics, but we don't spoil anything in the canon past...
2023-10-041h 19The Great ObsessionFANFICTION | one direction, groot + moreKick back, relax, and learn from our resident expert, Sam, about the wide world of fanfiction and all of its quirks. You’ll learn how 1D fanfic altered our brain chemistry as teenagers, and get Sam's pointers on navigating AO3 to find the best (and worst) fanfic content. We even read part of AO3's top explicit Marvel fanfic for you...you'll be surprised.
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2023-07-251h 05The Great ObsessionSPEAK NOW (TV) | album reviewTime for us to get EMO. Speak Now Taylors Version has FINALLY dropped!! We unpack all the songs, all the discourse and all the emotions. Tune in to find out which one of these rerecords made RiLee cry.
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2023-07-111h 17The Great ObsessionASHES AND THE STAR-CURSED KING | there she is....againIt's been awhile since our brains have produced an original thot, but in this episode I think we might finally achieve one. Enjoy our extensive rants about body positioning and repeated near death experiences.
In this episode we discuss Carissa Broadbent's Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, contains spoilers for the entire book and for The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Rating: 6.5/10
Also shout out to RiLee's stupid disco cup and all the noise I had to edit out. IYKYK.
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2023-06-271h 16The Great ObsessionTHE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT | worlds longest titleGet ready for MANY useless thoughts and confused tangents as we discuss Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night. Full disclosure...we were not at peak brain usage for this episode. After recording we reflected a lot more on the book and had some shifting thoughts, a lot of these thoughts were captured in our episode on the sequel the Ashes and the Star-Cursed King.
Initial rating: 8.5
Adjusted rating following reflection: 7
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...
2023-06-201h 20The Great ObsessionTHE ULTIMATUM QUEER LOVE | justice for Mal"Im going to create an environment that is so toxic" - Sue Sylvester and Netflix Producers making this show. The premise of this show is pure chaos and maximum emotional distress...WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. In this episode we discuss the Ultimatum - Queer Love (which interestingly is not called The Ultimatum season 2?? they are considered by Netflix to be separate shows with identical premises??? only difference is queer vs het relationships???) and contains spoilers for the entire season including the reunion episode.
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2023-06-131h 16The Great ObsessionCHAIN OF THORNS | well. that was a book.Today we are filling the room with negative energy by talking about Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare. The long-awaited final installment in The Last Hours series has given us a LOT to rant about in what's possibly our most passionate episode to date. This episode will contain spoilers for all of The Last Hours trilogy as well as lightweight spoilers for both Cassie Clare's The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series.
Rating: 4/10
“Mine is a complicated story, and people do not want to hear complicated stories. They wa...
2023-06-061h 40The Great ObsessionCHAIN OF IRON | Thostair for lifeThis episodes is all about ships on ships on SHIPPPPSSSS. Also plot holes. And poor character development. And more plot holes. This episode is full of spoilers for Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron with gratuitous references to the entire Shadowhunters universe. You just have to get past the American Girl content first.
Rating: 7/10
“Love is not always a lightning bolt. Sometimes it is a creeping vine. It grows slowly until suddenly it is all that there is in the world.”
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2023-05-301h 32The Great ObsessionCHAIN OF GOLD | 580 pages of just...foreshadowingWelcome to our first Shadowhunter episode! We begin with a spoiler-free discussion of the Shadowhunter universe, and RiLee shares some tea she heard at a recent Cassandra Clare book signing. Our Chain of Gold breakdown begins at 22:31, and the rest of the episode will contain spoilers for Chain of Gold as well as lightweight spoilers for Cassie Clare's Infernal Devices series.
5.5/10
“You decide the truth about yourself. No one else. And the choice about what kind of person you will be is yours alone.” - Cordelia Carstairs
2023-05-231h 06The Great ObsessionTHE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE | fake deep?We both read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab over a month ago, and we are FINALLY sitting down to talk about it! Who is Addie's OTP? Is she really human? Did this book live up to the hype? Thoughts have been simmering for a while and clearly we have MUCH to discuss.
Rating: 6.5/10
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2023-05-161h 07The Great ObsessionSPEAK NOW (TV) | announcement reactsMEET ME IN THE POURING RAIN!!!! The way this announcement had us in a CHOKEHOLD. This episode is all things Taylor Swift and all things Speak Now. Tune in for some deep cuts by resident T Swift historian RiLee and 13 year old angst from Sam.
11 min mark RiLee gives us a recap of her Eras concert and subsequent ascension
22 min mark we deep dive into Speak Now
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2023-05-091h 23
The Great Obsession2022 IN REVIEW | fav books, tv shows, pop culture + moreThis episode brought to you by "Negroni, Sbagliato....with Prosecco"
On this one we take a trip down memory lane through all of our favorites of 2022.
RiLee's Favs-
Top artists: Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Phoebe Bridgers, The Maine, and Maude Latour
Podcasts: What We Said, Chatty Broads with Bekah and Jess, Game of Roses, A Court of Tattoos and Rose, The Evolution of a Snake
TV Shows: The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Ultimatum, Love is Blind S3
Books: ACOMAF, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms (all by Sarah J. Maas)
Sam's Favs-...
2023-03-031h 23
The Great ObsessionTRAILER | The Great Obsession PodcastWelcome to The Great Obsession Podcast with hosts RiLee and Sam! This is a brief trailer to tell you what we're all about: talking books, music, TV, pop culture & whatever else we're obsessed with!
Join us every Tuesday to hear our analysis, discussion, and random thoughts on a different book each week. Upcoming episodes will include discussions of book series like Holly Black's The Folk of the Air, Leigh Bardugo's Shadow & Bone, and Cassandra Clare's The Last Hours. We love these books and we are so excited to share our thoughts from our perspective as mid-twenties adults...
2023-01-1400 min