Shows
All About Agatha ChristieInterview with Booktuber (and Agatha Christie Enthusiast) Mara SinclairWhat an excellent opportunity this conversation was to use--and explain--such new-fangled terms as "Booktube," "Bookstagram," and "BookTok." If the online world of readerly appreciation befuddles you (as it often does me), then allow Mara Sinclair to explain all.... For more Mara in your life, check out her YouTube Channel, Bookslikewhoa. You can also find Mara on Goodreads, Instagram, and Discord. You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page.2023-11-111h 26
Changeling CastBonus Episode: MAGIC TIDES and BLOOD HEIR ComparisonWhat do I think about the 2 most recent releases in the Kate Daniels universe? Let's do a quick comparison2023-01-2516 minChangeling CastSeason 2 Episode 8: Wrapping Up Innkeeper Chronicles!I really enjoyed my reread of this series... and I want more!!2023-01-0221 minChangeling CastSeason 2 Episode 7: What Do I Think About SWEEP OF THE HEART?Oh lordy, there is some GOOD stuff in here folks, but I am not totally sold on this as a cohesive whole. Let's discuss!!2022-12-2639 minChangeling CastSeason 2 Episode 6: A Pleasant Interlude in SWEEP WITH MEWhile I'd love to have more forward momentum in the macro plot, this is a very lovely novella that establishes Dina & Sean as co-innkeepers2022-12-1922 minChangeling CastSeason 2 Episode 5: Deep Ambivalence about SWEEP OF THE BLADEThis is a book I want to love more than I do... if only our macro plot didn't come to a screeching halt :/2022-12-1233 minChangeling CastSeason 2 Episode 4: ONE FELL SWEEP is a MasterpieceOne of my all time favorite books and a great representation of what Ilona Andrews does best2022-12-0540 min
Changeling CastSeason 2 Ep 3: Mixed Feelings about SWEEP IN PEACEWe had some highs and lows, but overall, another entertaining entry in the Innkeeper Chronicles2022-11-2840 min
Changeling CastSeason 2 Episode 2: CLEAN SWEEP is still so much fun!Delighted to report that CLEAN SWEEP was as delightful as I recalled! 2022-11-2143 min
Changeling CastIntroducing Season 2: The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona AndrewsWoohoo we have a new season and a new series! Check out info about this series on the Ilona Andrews website here: https://ilona-andrews.com/innkeeper-chronicles/I am planning on releasing these episodes every week on Monday mornings until we get through the series, so strap in and read along! 2022-11-1415 minChangeling CastBONUS! Psy-Changeling Trinity "Season 2" Recap - The Road So FarRecap of the macro plot for books 15-21, Allegiance of Honor to Storm Echo. This does include spoilers for Storm Echo, but I clearly state when we are about to move into that section2022-08-1032 minChangeling CastBONUS! Psy-Changeling "Season 1" Plot RecapRecap of the macro plot for books 1-14, Slave to Sensation to Shards of Hope2022-08-0948 minChangeling CastEpisode 30: Big Revelations in STORM ECHOWOOHOO it's finally live! Let's talk about the big reveals we got in STORM ECHO2022-08-0941 minChangeling CastBonus! Easter Eggs for The GhostBe ye forewarned - spoilers for all things related to the Ghost in the lead up to them being revealed2022-08-0808 minChangeling CastAnnouncement! Panel with Nalini Singh This WeekCome see me & Nalini Singh on a panel put on by East City Bookshop - registration is below (Aug 9th at 7:30 EST)https://eastcitybookshop.com/events/202208092022-08-0802 minChangeling CastEpisode 29: Psy-Changeling Series Review & Wrap UpWhew, that took longer than I thought! Let's rank all the books in the Psy-Changeling series and talk about the overall themes and takeaways I have coming out of this season... including what comes next for Changeling Cast Season 2 😈2022-05-3059 minChangeling CastEpisode 28: Last Short Story Catch Up!We cover a lot of ground in this one! Here are the stories we discuss:11.7 - Poker Night11.8 - Making Dinner11.9 - Sunday Morning 12.6 - Hide and Seek12.7 - New Year's Kisses13.1 - Kaleb & Sahara’s Meeting with Sascha & Lucas13.2 - Housewarming at the Orchard14.1 - Romancing Drew14.2 - The Song of the Wolf15.1 - Rowan15.2 - Baubles and Ben16.1 - Ain't No Party Like a Bear Party19.5 - Wildcat Blues20.1 - Music in the RainBeary Tiny GhostsWolf Heart2022-04-0733 minChangeling CastEpisode 27: LAST GUARD At Last!We've made it! This is the last currently released book in the series for us to cover, and I liked it as much on this read as I did when it came out last year! We'll do another short story round up next time, and then a big old ranking video to wrap this season up2022-03-2150 minChangeling CastEpisode 26: The Tropes of ALPHA NIGHT Are My Actual JamI am trash for an alpha female and the icy Psy who loves her2022-03-0740 minChangeling CastEpisode 25: WOLF RAIN Angsts So GoodAfter a rocky last book, I'm beyond delighted to report that I loved WOLF RAIN on this reread as much as I did the first time around!2022-02-2135 minChangeling CastEpisode 24: OCEAN LIGHT Doesn't Quite Come Together for MeI feel so guilty even saying this! But yeah, I'm just not sure all the elements of OCEAN LIGHT fully blend to the seamless Psy-Changeling experience I've come to expectAlso, apologies on the sound quality - there were some recording bumps that I tried to smooth out but sorry in advance for the less than ideal quality this time!2022-02-0734 minChangeling CastEpisode 23: Highs and Lows with SILVER SILENCEI absolutely love our main characters in this one, but I have mixed feelings about the book as a whole... so let's talk about it!2022-01-2447 minChangeling CastEpisode 22: ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR was a pleasant surprise!My memory of ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR was that it was fun but didn't have a lot of substance. I was pleasantly surprised on this reread, so let's discuss!2022-01-1047 min
Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel PeopleCaressed by Ice by Nalini SinghWe’re back to paranormal romance this week — and so excited! It’s been literal years since we’ve done a deep dive like this one, talking about a beloved, long-standing, many booked, series — Nalini Singh’s Psy Changeling series. We’re deep diving on Caressed by Ice, which features a hero who literally experiences physical pain whenever he feels a feeling, so…of course he’s Jen’s favorite. We talk paranormal world building, patriarchy, hero’s feeling feelings, and try to explain the universe of this book. We’re not great at it, but there is about 20 minutes of bantr, so you...2021-12-151h 22Changeling CastEpisode 21: SHARDS OF HOPE Sticks the LandingThis is a Zaira stan account now, k thanks2021-12-0648 minChangeling CastEpisode 20: SHIELDS OF WINTER is 10 Pounds of Plot in a 5 Pound BagWhew, this was a lot of pay off to our macro plot, guys! Add in the Arrows, who I have a huge soft spot for, and we're talking a great entry to the series. Love Vasic and love what Ivy does for him2021-11-2257 minChangeling CastEpisode 19: Last 2 Novellas (FLIRTATION OF FATE & SECRETS AT MIDNIGHT)Let's talk about the last two novellas that we have to cover for this season! We've got Gem & Kenji finally getting over their BS to get together, and Bas finding his surprising new mate2021-11-0817 minChangeling CastEpisode 18: Squeeing over HEART OF OBSIDIAN for an hourIt's here. One of the bookish loves of my life, featuring my sweet broken Kaleb.... HEART OF OBSIDIAN! I'm so excited to revel in the delights of this gem of a book with you guys and I'm so proud I managed to keep this pretty spoiler free up til now2021-10-2555 minChangeling CastEpisode 17: Short Story Catch Up We are talking about NINE stories today! We're covering:Partners in Persuasion (11.5)Wolf SchoolClean and DirtyHome Wild NightNaya's Most Important VisitorsGrocery ShoppingStalking HawkePancakes2021-10-1126 minChangeling CastEpisode 16: TANGLE OF NEED Surprised Me!Coming into this project, I remembered TANGLE OF NEED as my last favorite book in the series (though granted... every Psy-C is still better than most other things I read). Will that opinion hold? Tune in to find out!2021-09-2741 minChangeling CastEpisode 15: Novella Catch Up Time - DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP and TEXTURE OF INTIMACYWe've got TWO of my favorite Psy-C novellas this week! "Declaration of Courtship" explores the dynamics of mating when 2 packmates are at opposite ends of the dominance hierarchy, and "Texture of Intimacy" has an extended HEA with the adorable Walker & Lara2021-09-1324 minChangeling CastEpisode 14: Here for KISS OF SNOW's Alpha Male Bull-Shit (ft. JenReadsRomance)I'm so excited to be talking about this fantastic entry in the series with Jen (aka JenReadsRomance) of Fated Mates fame! Strap in for some over the top alpha moments and Sienna being a Grade A Bad BitchFollow Jen on Twitter at @JenReadsRomanceCheck out Fated Mates podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow them on Twitter @FatedMates and on Instagram @fatedmatespod2021-08-301h 25Changeling CastEpisode 13: PLAY OF PASSION Was Even Better Than I RememberedI remembered really liking PLAY OF PASSION, but upon reread... turns out that I love it! Yes please for strong dominant females and the playful males who love them2021-08-1643 minChangeling CastEpisode 12: Not Sure What to Think of BONDS OF JUSTICEThis week was a study in ambivalence for me- BONDS OF JUSTICE had some highlights but left me kind of meh overall. Join me as I try to sort out why!2021-08-0337 min
Fire the CanonA Delightful Chat with BookTuber Jess OwensWe had a great time talking books with one of our favorite book YouTubers, Jess Owens! Jess tells us how she went from a high schooler who lost her love of reading to starting her own book YouTube channel. (She also tells us her favorite book world drama from the past year.)
Topics include: Book CommuniTea, international lockdown, giant book collections, carrier pigeons, Nora Roberts, Elin Hilderbrand, Sarah Dessen, Roxane Gay, Angie Thomas, Jodi Picoult, Jenny Han, Jennifer Weiner, publishing mergers, Great Expectations, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Hemingway, Harry Potter, James Patterson, Game of Thrones, and Goos...2021-07-221h 02Changeling CastEpisode 11: Short Story Catch UpWe are catching up on the 5.5 novella, DORIAN, as well as 6 short stories: 0.6 "Seedlings, 1.1 "The Cannibal Princess," 4.1 "A Conversation," 5.6 "A Gift for Kit," 5.7 "Movie Night, and 7.5 "Christmas in the Kitchen." 2021-07-1919 minChangeling CastEpisode 10: BLAZE OF MEMORY Made Me Weep (Again)We get to spend some QT with the Forbidden in this one, and once again, this book made me boo hoo my eyes out2021-07-0534 minChangeling CastEpisode 9.5: An Interview with Nalini SinghI was so delighted to sit down with Nalini Singh for a deep dive into the Psy Changeling series! We talk about her plotting and writing process. possible themes, and the latest book in the series, LAST GUARD2021-06-211h 05Changeling CastEpisode 9: BRANDED BY FIRE is as Spicy as I RememberedWhew, get your fans ready for this one, y'all! Mercy is one of the best heroines in the series and Riley is just the stick in mud to drive her crazy. One of my favs in the series and one that definitely holds up to rereading2021-06-1450 minChangeling CastEpisode 8: Pleasantly Surprised by HOSTAGE TO PLEASUREMy second encounter with this book went far better than I expected! Thumbs up for all the political thriller elements, thumbs meh for the romance2021-05-3145 minChangeling CastEpisode 7: Novella Catch Up Time (ECHO OF SILENCE and STROKE OF ENTICEMENT)2021-05-1722 minChangeling CastEpisode 6: Feeling Conflicted About MINE TO POSSESSThis was a hard book to talk about guy, because I really love the second half but did not enjoy the first half. Join me as I try to sort out my feelings and decide whether or not Clay is salvageable2021-05-0337 minChangeling CastEpisode 5: Novella Catch Up Time (BEAT OF TEMPTATION and WHISPER OF SIN)We are pausing on the full novels this week to catch up with 2 novellas that come before SLAVE TO SENSATION in the chronological timeline of the series-- BEAT OF TEMPTATION and WHISPER OF SIN! Queen Nalini slays a novella, so let's get into it2021-04-1928 minChangeling CastEpisode 4: CARESSED BY ICE Is Iconic (Ft. Beautifully Bookish Bethany)Thank you to Bethany for discussing this amazing classic of speculative romance fiction with me! We theorize about why we love the Psy, why Judd and Brenna make such a great couple, and try to decide if we would be in favor of a hive mind if we were on the Psy councilFind Bethany at Beautifully Bookish Bethany on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuSesVh76ms_5-AKO2Bp_wACW: SA, abuse, torture 2021-04-051h 11Changeling CastEpisode 3: VISIONS OF HEAT Gave Me an Existential CrisisWell damn. I wasn't expecting to take a deep dive into my own history of trauma with this book but... I guess that's what we were doing this week with VISIONS OF HEAT by Nalini Singh. We've got Psy. We've got Changelings. We've got more dead bodies delivered to crooked politicians. And we've got some sexy telepathic daydreams. Follow me on YouTube, Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter @bookslikewhoaOther podcasts referenced (Dirty Rotten Church Kids):"Reconstruct or Don't"- https://drck.podbean.com/e/reconstruct-or-dont/"Playing Divine Telephone" - https://drck.podbean.com/e...2021-03-2259 minChangeling CastEpisode 2: Slave to Sensation Kept Me Up Til 3amIt's our first book episode of Changeling Cast, and we've got SLAVE TO SENSATION by Nalini Singh! We've got sexy telepathic dreams, a sick AF serial killer on the loose, and two truly adorable leopard babies to discuss, so join Mara from bookslikewhoa on this emotional rollercoaster2021-03-081h 11Changeling CastEpisode 1: Introducing Changeling CastWelcome to Changeling Cast! My name is Mara from the BookTube channel "bookslikewhoa," and in today's episode, we are kicking off the first season of this podcast by deep diving into the world of the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh. We dive into who Nalini Singh is; what the series is about; my pitch for why you should read it; an overview of the major themes in the series; and a rundown of podcast logistics. Join me on our tour through the wonderful speculative world of Psy-Changelings! 2021-02-1649 min