Everybody loves a good villain. From the most sinister non-human entities to the humans we start to empathize with, we've got all the best baddies from books we've read. We start with a classic President Snow and end with an even more classic villain who will suck your blood, and we hit every bad guy in between. We start the podcast with our most-r…

From the rawest insight into people's lives to illuminating spotlights on important issues, biographies and memoirs can leave a long-lasting impact. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss their favourite memoirs and autobiographies. Marissa discusses several dancer and a few artists' memoirs, while Megan talks about reading about therapy and de…

Welcome to Poetry 101. Marissa is a big poetry buff, and this week we're discussing all our best tips for getting into poetry. Throughout this podcast, Marissa and Megan share their experiences with poems and poetry – and give you all the reasons why you shouldn't be scared of them, no matter what your high school English teacher made you feel. Fro…

Will we hurt each other's feelings? You'll have to listen to find out! In this episode of The Book Jar Pod, Megan and Marissa discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the books they've recommended to each other over the years. From some classic recommendations like Sabriel and Iron Widow to some newer ones like Emma and Throne of Glass, expect to…

Megan is back! And we have some book talk to catch up. Marissa and Megan go through their most recent reads – all 25 books they've read since they've last met. From Heartstopper and Fly By Night to The Fires of Heaven and The City of Brass, join your fave readers as they rate and discuss all the books they've read to start this year. We end the pod…

Let's have some girl talk. And by girl talk, we're talking about our fave girlies in books. To top it off, Marissa is joined by both Alix Calfa and Taylor Andresen, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy. The three readers discuss an abundance of amazing female characters they've read in novels. From Sabriel and Katniss Everdeen to the lead…

Another week, another guest. Alix Calfa, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast, joins Marissa to discuss a truly industry-changing social media platform: BookTok. Both Alix and Marissa point out the good, the bad, the ugly, and the inspirational aspects of such a whirlwind force as BookTok is. We mention fave creators, fave book re…

We have another guest on this episode of The Book Jar Pod: Taylor, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast. Together, Marissa and Tay discuss a topic close to their hearts: What are some of your fave feminist reads? Taylor starts by recounting some of her most recent reads, and then the two readers dive into the topic. Let us know ho…

It's a crossover episode! We have two fabulous guests from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast, with us and we've decided to use a totally legitimate trivia contest and not-at-all-random scoring system to determine the reader who knows the most chaotic facts. Marissa, Megan, Alix, and Tay all have ten questions to ask and far too many…

It's been one heck of a year! And, we feel like we need to talk about the best – and the worst – books we read this year. So, join us, as both readers recap their year. From the number of books and pages read to the genres that filled those pages, these readers are going over it all – and we're thrilled to have you come along for the ride! We begin…

Megan and Marissa switch up their topic to talk about some amazing authors who also seem like great human beings. From calling out racism and misogyny and talking about hard-to-talk-about topics to donating time, money, and resources to charity, these authors are some of our favourites to read and recommend – on and off the page. Inspired by some r…

Casting movies and TV shows is a hard task. Naturally, this means we have to try it out for ourselves. In this episode, Marissa and Megan fan-cast some popular and some of their favourite novels. Marissa personally takes a hand at casting for Dracula, Throne of Glass, and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Megan decides that Ninth House, An Absolutely Re…

Talk dirty to me... or maybe don't. In this NSFW episode of The Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan share the best and the worst sex scenes they've read in novels. From terrible anatomy to euphemisms sheathed between lines, these sex scenes will leave you with questions you don't want answered. The first portion of this podcast is safe for work, wi…

Content Warnings: Incest, sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, pedophilia Straight to Trope Jail! Alright, we're talking about all the tropes that make us the most irritated. In short, the ones that make us wish we could make writing those tropes absolutely illegal. As always, we start by discussing our most recent reads and then dive straight into …

No matter your reading speed, some books just sit on your "currently reading" shelf for longer than others. From being a bit on the slow side to being a more challenging read, these books aren't necessarily bad (though, sometimes, they are) but they do take extra time, dedication, and perserverance to finish. We're talking about those books this we…

Megan returns and we're using the first podcast to catch up on all the great books both readers have read over the past few months. They end by discussing their current reads and revealing the next topic pulled from the book jar. Expect us to discuss: Angel Mage by Garth Nix A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green All of Us Villains by C.L. He…

Dragons, elves, witches, warlocks, adventures with Hobbits, fae kings and queens: what's not to love about fantasy novels? While fantasy is a fun and captivating genre to read, some fantasy books hit us harder. From high fantasy worlds dreamt up by Tolkien, Sanderson, and Maas to gripping low fantasy adventures from Chloe Gong and Leigh Bardugo, th…

What makes a good book ending? From the nicely wrapped-up books written by Jane Austen to the frustrating, hand-wringing cliffhangers by Sarah J. Maas, Marissa and Alix, our guest star, discuss all the books that ended perfectly – at least for them. We end with an exciting announcement about our newest project! Expect us to talk about: Emma by Jane…

Alix is back with Marissa to discuss all the books that influenced them. From changing what type of main characters they looked for to reminding them of the value of a fast and fun read, Marissa and guest, Alix, are diving into a wonderful world of books that left their mark. The two readers end this episode by pulling next week's out of the jar. E…

Marissa is joined by a different reader this week, Alix Calfa. Together, Alix and Marissa discuss their biggest and greatest literary brags. From accounting the many books they've read over the years to the amazing feat of being able to read in a car, the two readers use this rare opportunity to brag it up. Expect us to discuss: Pride & Prejudice b…

Trends are often surprising. In this episode, our two readers discuss all the surprise trends they've seen recently – and some they wish would come back around. From the surge of love for historical romance novels to the desire to find a few more steampunk novels on the shelf, we're here to discuss it all. Expect us to start with a recap of Marissa…

Sometimes, a happily ever after just isn't possible. This week, Megan and Marissa discuss their fave books that end in sadness and tragedy. From Romeo & Juliet to No One Is Talking About This, get ready to hear about the saddest stories that we loved reading. Please be warned that this episode does contain spoilers. As always, we start with a discu…

Young adult characters are some of the most memorable characters in literature. Whether inspired by real-life events or for the purpose of flying around mythical lands, YA characters can obtain their popularity for many reasons. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss which popular YA characters are their favourites and why. We also discuss our …

The book might be better, but sometimes the movie just hits the spot. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the books they'd love to see come to life on the screen. From favourites they want to see come alive to stories that had potential but didn't marvel, we dive into these books and what makes them perfect for the big screen. We also discus…

Are you a book hoarder or a careful collector? In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss how they decide which books get to grace their shelves and which ones get donated or sent away. From beautiful copies to nostalgic editions and everything in between, these two readers are discussing the biggest question for book lovers: how do you decide whic…

When it comes to plots, we all have tropes we love. From enemies becoming friends to found family and more, Megan and Marissa discuss the plot tropes they can't get enough of. Both readers dive into the specifics of the tropes that they love – and expect us to gush about our absolute favourite examples as well! Expect us to discuss: Some Kind of An…

It's like 20 questions, but all about books! Megan and Marissa ask each other book-related questions that they've always wanted to ask each other. From debating who would win a crossover Hunger Games between Sabriel and Katniss to discovering the best and worst book recommendations we've given each other, this episode is all about answering the eas…

This one is dedicated to all the books that were almost a favourite – if it weren't for that one thing. In this episode, our beloved readers, Megan and Marissa, reveal the changes they'd make to a few novels to improve the story for them. Removing tropes, changing character arcs, and removing a character's death: we're bringing it all up this week.…

Megan and Marissa are answering questions about themselves this week. From discussing their non-book-related interests and hobbies to recalling how they started reading and met, the two readers are deep diving to help you get to know them better. Expect us to discuss: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He S…

This one's for those readers still reading at 2 am, even though they have to work the next day. In this episode, Megan and Marissa are recounting the books that they burned through quickly – for both good and bad reasons. We start by discussing our most recent reads and then move into the topic, discussing what kind of books we read quickly and why…

A good ending is important. A bad ending can ruin the book. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the worst endings to books they've read. From leaving a sour taste in our mouths to completely destroying a beloved series, the worst endings come in all shapes and sizes. We start this episode by talking over our most recent reads, which leads us…

It's easy to find hate about the YA genre. From protesting that these books aren't valuable to keeping adults from reading YA, it seems there are so many reasons people hate on YA. But is the hate deserved? We think not. Megan and Marissa discuss all the most popular reasons cited for people to hate YA – and we argue about which points are valid (l…

Is the book better? Or the movie? How about both? In this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan compare notes on their favourite book-to-movie/tv-series adaptations. From Jane Austen's plethora of movies to nostalgic numbers like Holes by Louis Sachar, we're talking about all the movies and tv shows we've adored, even though the…

Everyone loves a reading goal. Marissa and Megan are back to discuss their reading goals for 2023 – plus a review of how 2022 has been for us! We start by discussing 2022 and how our reading looked throughout the year. Then, we make new reading goals for the upcoming year. We end it off by discussing upcoming reads and drawing our next topic for ou…

Marissa and Megan discuss some overhyped books in this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast. From some self-help books that didn't help to TikTok recommendations that didn't stick, we're talking about it all. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Leave us a rev…

Dedication pages are fun – and sometimes they're just a bit sweet, sad, or beautiful. We're resisting favourite dedication pages we've discovered through our reading history. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, upcoming reads, their book club, and other bookish things! Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your questio…

There's nothing like the first time. Megan and Marissa discuss which books they wish they could read again for the first time. Marissa takes into consideration her all-time faves, while Meg wonders what it might be like if she read books she doesn't think she would like the second time around. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, u…

**Spoiler Warnings for Harry Potter, Twilight, Sailor Moon, A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Court of Thorns & Roses & Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde** Fan theories make reading communities better! So, in this episode, we're diving into our personal faves. From Draco Malfoy being a werewolf to Reneesme being a villain, we're breaking down some theories you…

**Content Warning: Mentions of death, dying, and sex.** We are talking about books that have great hooks. From renowned classics to our fave modern books (and audiobooks), some books get you right from the start. Marissa and Megan read a few of their faves. Expect us to discuss: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket E…

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for October and a recap of September 2022. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Consider leaving us a review so more people can find …

**Spoilers for The Walking Dead.** **Content Warning: We do talk about sex and mention some violent content from The Walking Dead graphic novels.** What do Bryan Lee O'Malley, Rachel Smythe, Shaun Tan, and Lights have in common? They're all comics whose graphic novels we loved reading. In this episode, we're talking about graphic novels, comics, an…

We're getting emotional this week. Join us on a deep dive into the books that made us feel the most: anger, sadness, hope, and disgust. We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week. From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question…

Some characters you dream of meeting. Others, you would run from. In this episode, we discuss our personal favourite characters who we'd rather not meet in real life – for a variety of reasons. From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and …

Content Warning: We discuss a book that contains mentions of sexual assault, harassment, and rape. If this content is not for you, please stop listening when we talk about our upcoming reads at the end of the podcast. We're here to have a little bit of fun this week! Courtesy of one of our listeners, Alix, we're describing great books (both to us p…

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for August 2022. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Consider leaving us a review so more people can find us!…

What do John Green, Jane Austen, and a few others have in common? Well, when we picked up their books, we weren't always in love. As usual, Megan and Marissa start off by discussing their most recent reads: Megan discusses a finished book of hers, Yume by Sifton Tracey Anipare, and Marissa (for the first time ever since starting this podcast) has n…

Let's get to our deep dive book recommendations! Megan and Marissa start off by discussing their most recent reads: Marissa lists her four reads and Megan talks about the book she's currently working on finishing. From there, we dive into topic of the week: What book do you love that isn't mainstream, but you wish it was? Marissa starts off by disc…

Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for July 2022. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Consider leaving us a review so more people can find us!…

It's our mid-year check-in! Marissa and Megan embark on a review of the highs and lows of 2022 so far! We start by discussing our reading goals for the year and whether or not we're ahead or behind schedule. We also talk about the main themes, genres, book pacing, and pages that we've read this year, using the data from our Storygraph accounts. (If…

All that's evil is not created equal. Marissa and Megan start off this podcast by discussing our most recent reads before we dive into an in-depth discussion of several great antagonists and what makes them so great at being bad. We start with a discussion of the eight main categories of villains: The Anti-Villain, The Beast, The Bully, The Machine…