Shows
Can I Bring My BookPOV Wars: First Person vs. Third PersonIs it more fun to live the story or to watch it unfold? In this episode, we’re diving into the big narrative debate—first person vs. third person point of view. From omniscient storytelling to limited perspectives, we unpack the pros and cons of each and share which styles we gravitate toward (spoiler: it depends on the vibe).
We also chat about one of our favorite storytelling devices—the unreliable narrator—and list the books that pulled it off flawlessly. Whether you’re team “I want all the inner monologue” or “just tell me what’s happening,” there’...2025-05-0617 minCan I Bring My BookCult Vibes, Curses, and New Bookish ObsessionsTitle:
Cult Vibes, Curses, and New Bookish Obsessions
Episode Description:
This week on Can I Bring My Book, Amanda and Kat are back with fresh book reviews of their Bestie Book Swap read this month! Kat shares her thoughts on The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John — a thriller that brings all the culty, secluded island drama. Meanwhile, Amanda dives into Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber and officially joins the Jacks fan club.
Along the way, they chat about what they expect from thrillers, the charm of slightly messy main ch...2025-04-2914 minCan I Bring My BookDramatic Goodreads Readings & Five-Star ShadeEpisode Title: Dramatic Goodreads Readings & Five-Star Shade
Book reviews, dramatic readings, and a little friendly shade—what more could you ask for?
In this episode of Can I Bring My Book, Kat confronts Amanda about her ahem generous Goodreads ratings and challenges her to revisit old book reviews. Cue the dramatic readings, cringey commentary, and some surprising reflections.
We talk about:
The books we used to love (or not)
The evolution of our reading tastes
Amanda’s villain origin story as a 5-star reviewer
Trope...2025-04-2217 minCan I Bring My BookShould We Challenge Ourselves as Readers? A Debate on “Shoulds,” Genres, and Bookish GrowthEpisode Title: Should We Challenge Ourselves as Readers? A Debate on “Shoulds,” Genres, and Bookish Growth
Can I Bring My Book — the podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
This week, Amanda and Kat dive into the tension between comfort reading and personal growth, all sparked by a spicy internet comment about what books readers should be reading. Is it enough to read only what you want to read? Or does challenging yourself to step outside your favorite genre actually lead to a more fulfilling reading life?
The du...2025-04-1518 minCan I Bring My BookLet’s Build the Ultimate Book BoyfriendEpisode Title: Let’s Build the Ultimate Book Boyfriend
In this week’s episode, Amanda and Kat take a break from their towering TBRs to do something far more important—design their perfect fictional boyfriends. From battlefields to bakeries, black tees to farmhouses full of goats, the duo takes online quizzes (some more accurate than others, or maybe none that are accurate at all) and debate everything from pickup lines to dream proposal settings.
Along the way, they add even more books to their TBRs (shocker), reveal their all-time favorite book boyfrien...2025-04-0820 minCan I Bring My BookSpring Cleaning Your ReadingSpring Cleaning Your Reading
This week, Amanda kicks things off by sending Kat on a mission to grab five books from her physical TBR cart… and chaos ensues. Together, they reflect on reading goals, shift some priorities, and play a bookish version of “keep, read, donate” (don’t worry, no books were harmed in the making of this episode).
Also in this episode:
📚 How Goodreads guilt-trips Amanda
📚 Kat’s fear of spring cleaning and giving up her precious reads
📚 Books we’ve had since 2019 and still might read someday
📚 A quick-and-cha...2025-04-0120 minCan I Bring My BookBestie Book Swap & Precious Little RobotsBestie Book Swap & Precious Little Robots
In this week’s episode, Amanda and Kat are back with another Bestie Book Swap! We each read a book picked by the other—and, as usual, we’ve got thoughts.
Kat reviews The Year of Less by Cait Flanders, a memoir (sort of) about minimalism, consumption, and self-discovery. Spoiler alert: someone’s feeling a little misled by the marketing.
Amanda shares her love for A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers and her introduction to the cozy, hopeful world of solarpunk...2025-03-2523 minCan I Bring My BookHow to Break Out of a Reading SlumpHow to Break Out of a Reading Slump
Reading slumps—every book lover’s worst nightmare. Whether it’s burnout, life getting in the way, or a book so good that nothing else compares, we’ve all been there. In this episode, Kat and Amanda break down what causes reading slumps and share practical tips to help you rediscover your reading groove.
We discuss:
📚 The different types of reading slumps and what causes them
📚 How long Kat’s last reading slump lasted (spoiler: it was years)
📚 Whether reading challenges help or hurt motivation
📚 E...2025-03-1815 minCan I Bring My BookBookish Hot Takes & Controversial OpinionsBookish Hot Takes & Controversial Opinions
Get ready, book besties—we’re stirring the pot in this episode! Kat and Amanda dive into bookish hot takes, from whether reading a bad book is worse than watching a bad movie to the eternal debate of paperback vs. hardcover. We’re also chatting about series vs. standalones, dog-earing pages (monstrous or practical?), and whether smut is really just… well, you’ll have to listen to find out.
Plus, we’re introducing Trope Talk! This week, we discuss meet-cutes and found family—two of our favorites!
2025-03-1121 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and Cake and CostumesGet ready cuz it's Episode Ten Plus One: Cake, Cozy Mysteries, and Bestie Book Swap Updates
We’re celebrating our 11th episode (or as we like to call it, "ten plus one") with some bookish chat about cozy mysteries, annotated book swaps, and our latest reads. Plus, we talk about the books that inspired us as kids, the joy of missing out, and Kat’s spirit week adventures.
📚 Books Mentioned:
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe: https://amzn.to/3WL15Py
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan: ht...2025-02-0433 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and DragonsReading Relay, Bestie Book Swap, and Fourth Wing Love
Can I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In this episode, Kat and Amanda share their recent reads, including 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, and Murder and Marble Cake by Nancy McGovern. They also discuss their January Bestie Book Swap picks—Kat reflects on Maid by Stephanie Land, a moving memoir about resilience, poverty, and overcoming stigma, while Amanda gushes over Fourth Wing by Rebecca Ya...2025-01-2133 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and Author ConvosBehind the Book: A Conversation with Tamara Lemus, Author of Runaway Fae
*While we tried to limit any spoilers for Runaway Fae, we recommend you get a copy of the book and read before listening to the episode*
Can I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In this episode, we are joined by Tamara Lemus, the talented author of Runaway Fae. Tamara shares the journey that sparked her love of reading, the inspiration behind her deb...2025-01-071h 23Can I Bring My BookBooks and Reading GoalsReading Goals, Bonus Books, and the Icelandic Book Flood
Can I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In this bonus episode, Kat and Amanda take advantage of December’s fifth Tuesday to reflect on their 2024 reading goals and look ahead to 2025. Kat discusses revising her 2024 goal to better fit her busy schedule and explores plans to read more nonfiction next year. Meanwhile, Amanda celebrates a massive reading year (134 books!) and outlines her goal for 2025: maintaining her reading momentum while creating a custom Ca...2024-12-3120 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and EinsteinCracking Spines, Comfort Reads, and a Nutcracker Love Affair
Spoiler alert for The Other Einstein: skip 16:00–23:20 if you plan to read it
Can I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In Episode 7, Kat and Amanda dive into their current reads, share their thoughts on DNF’ing (Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies and Tarta Americana), and admit to unexpected reading detours. Kat reveals her frustration over The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict and gushes about the delightful chaos of Will...2024-12-1737 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and Rating Our ReadsCan I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In Episode 6, Kat and Amanda dive into the world of rating books, debating their approaches to reviews and star ratings. Kat breaks down her firm five-star system and shares why she’s okay with rating books she didn’t finish (hot take alert!), while Amanda reveals her approach as a recovering people-pleaser and the inner conflict of rating anything less than a five.
The discussion takes a spicy turn as the duo explores whether readers shou...2024-12-0342 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and Where to Track Your Reading ActivityBooks and Where to Track Your Reading Activity
Can I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In Episode 5, Kat and Amanda chat about their current reads, diving into cozy fall novels like The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore and Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, whimsical fantasies like The Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J. Penner, and The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee, and more. Amanda raves about The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, wh...2024-11-1936 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and When to Quit ThemCan I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In Episode 4, we’re celebrating a full month of the podcast and diving into a lively discussion on DNF-ing (Did Not Finish) books—when to do it, how to decide, and our personal approaches. Kat shares her struggle with an audiobook narrator and whether she’ll push through, while Amanda talks about her current cozy reads and the appeal of autumnal books. We also swap our second Bestie Book Swap picks, exploring The Other Einstein by Marie Benedi...2024-11-0532 minCan I Bring My BookBooks and WritingCan I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
In Episode 3, we chat about our current reads, from Weyward by Emelia Hart to Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, plus a few cozy picks perfect for fall. We also dive into the art of writing as we prep for NaNoWriMo, sharing favorite tools, books on writing, and our routines to get the words flowing. Tune in for all the bookish banter, writing tips, plus some fun surprises!
*****
U...2024-10-2933 min
Can I Bring My BookBooks and how we read themCan I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
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This episode may include spoilers for the following:
How to Train Your Dragon (Book 1 and movies)
Harry Potter movie series
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In this episode, we dive into what we’ve been reading lately, from Anne Bogle’s "I’d Rather Be Reading" to the captivating "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt. We also chat about our favorite bookstores, audiobook quirks, and what makes certain narrators so compelling. Plus, there’s plenty of cozy boo...2024-10-1544 min
Can I Bring My BookBooks and introductionsCan I Bring My Book. The podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, will tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
We are so excited to welcome you to Episode #1. Get to know us and our new book club.
Links:
October's Selected Read- Tender is the Flesh
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2024-10-0130 min