Besties and the Books Podcast
We’re Ashley and Liz, two real-life besties who’ve loved books since we first learned to read, so naturally, we started a podcast! We would say the rest is history but in actuality, it's just the beginning. So come join us in the next chapter of our lives as we introduce ourselves, and laugh our way through the world of books with a focus on Fantasy, Romantasy, and Dark Romance. Of course we have love for all book genres, but those are our absolute favorites!
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!
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@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast
Liz
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife
Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix
Email bestiesandthebooks@gmail.com
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast
Liz
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife
Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix
Email bestiesandthebooks@gmail.com
Episodes
133 episodes
Ep 97 Glint by Raven Kennedy Review, Summary, Deep Dive Discussion | Plated Prisoner Book 2
Today we’re diving right into book two in The Plated Prisoner Series by Raven Kennedy: Glint. This book is the perfect journey story (both literal and figurative), and follow up to the polarizing book one. If you weren’t hooked by the en...
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Episode 97
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Ep 96 "WE DID IT!!" 100+ Books RAPID REVIEWS! Year End Wrap Up and Book Goals for 2026
Our 2025 Reading Wrap Up 2.0 is here in all of its spoiler free glory! We’re giving you our one sentence star and spice rating for every book we read from July to December of last year, so get your pad and pencil out to add to your TBR… ...
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Episode 96
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Ep 95 Rhysand, Kingfisher, Slade: The Man Behind the Voices! Interview w/ Anthony Palmini AudioBook Narrator
Do you love Audiobooks? Well, hold onto your buttz! Today we have a very special completely spoiler free interview episode for you. We’re bringing you something (someone?) new and exciting to go along with our deep dive series for the Pl...
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Episode 95
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Ep 94 Gild by Raven Kennedy Review, Summary, Deep Dive Discussion | Plated Prisoner Book 1
Just in case you haven’t heard… our first full length deep dive series for 2026 is none other than THE Plated Prisoner by Raven Kennedy! Today we’re kicking off this (at least) six-book, and seven-part journey with book one: Gild.
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Episode 94
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Ep 93 The Housemaid Book VS Movie Showdown! "Why the Movie Was Better?" 😱🤔
We’re baaaaAAAk! And we’re bringing you a very special episode to kick off the new year! Something we’ve never done in a standalone episode before… it’s a book versus movie showdown with a deep dive into The Housemaid by Freida McFadden ...
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Episode 93
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Ep 92 “Am I The A Hole? I Won’t Go To Christmas Without…” 💚🎅❤️ AITA Christmas Family Drama Edition!
It’s the most wonderful time… of the year? Happy Holidays from us to you! We hope you’re surviving the chaos, insanity, and general family drama. So in true Besties & the Books fashion, we’re here to bring you some distraction and la...
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Episode 92
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ENTIRE Wicked Universe Wrap Up & Ranking 💚🩷 Unpopular Opinions, Honest Reviews, and Discussing Movies, Books, + Musical!
Today we FINISH our coverage of the entire Wicked universe and close our bonus “Are Books Political” series! And is Wicked Worth Reading?Wicked: For Good has officially been out for three weeks, and we are ready to yap about it...
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Ep 91 BRIMSTONE (by Callie Hart) Is a Romantasy Roller Coaster 🔥 Full Book Review & Deep Dive
Listen…Brimstone is here. Are we obsessed with the Fae & Alchemy series by Callie Hart? GUILTY. AS. CHARGED. Not to give anything away (including our spoiler free star and spice ratings) but we think it’s safe to say that there’s not...
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Episode 91
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Ep 90 Answering the MOST UNHINGED Questions from Reddit, Bestie Community, & Each Other!
Literally what in the actual heck is this episode? It’s all of us having a great time at the water cooler of the future, that’s what! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted unhinged bookish (and random!) questions for us to answer. ...
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Episode 90
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Ep 89 A Very Cringy Christmas! 🎄💋 Reading Viral Popular Holiday Romance Books
This episode is chalk full of all the magical things we hope to receive this holiday season, including but not limited to: revenge on abusive fiances via honeyed ham cleaver, several foot long Krampus tongues, monster cages, Christmas tr...
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Episode 89
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Is ELPHIE Worth Reading? Wicked Prequel Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts
Today we FINISH our coverage of the Wicked book universe by Gregory Maguire with the newest installation, released an entire fourteen years after Out of Oz: Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, the prequel to the original book!Told from...
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Ep 88 “AM I THE A HOLE? I DONT WANT TO HOST THANKSGIVING!” 🦃 | 2nd Annual AITA Thanksgiving + Holiday Book Recs
It’s that time again, where we ask and answer “Am I The A Hole” but this time its Thanksgiving Reddit Stories! In yet another installation of our fan fave series “Am I the A hole?!” holiday edition, we’re tackling Thanksgiving Day and al...
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Episode 88
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(we actually want) OUT OF OZ!! | Wicked Book 4 Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts
Today we FINISH our coverage of the original Wicked Years 4-book series by Gregory Maguire with the finale: Out of Oz, told from the perspective of Elphaba’s granddaughter Rain as she navigates the world as a stowaway during a politically tu...
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Ep 87 We Read the Most UNHINGED Thanksgiving Smut on Kindle Unlimited 😳🦃 | CRINGEY HOLIDAY BOOKS!
Today we’re bringing you our reviews and unhinged deeeep dives on two of the most “cringy” sounding Thanksgiving themed romance novellas we could find on Kindle Unlimited. As we continue this time honored trad...
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Episode 87
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A (COWARDLY?) Lion Among Men | Wicked Book 3 Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts
Today we continue our coverage of the Wicked 5-book universe by Gregory Maguire with book three: A Lion Among Men, the only book in the series primarily told through the point of view and perspective of an Animal. The “Wicked Years” move for...
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Ep 86 Between Two Kings Power, Passion, and the Price of Loyalty (SPOILERS INSIDE) | Review & Deep Dive Discussion
Just in case you haven’t noticed… we are completely OBSESSED with the Split or Swallow universe, created by the amazingly talented and hilarious Lindsay Straube. Last year we did a deep dive and our very first author interview with...
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Episode 86
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Ep 85 Between TWO Kings?! What’s that all about?! LINDSAY STRAUBE IS BACK!!! | Exclusive Author Interview
First EXCLUSIVE Author Interview with Lindsay Straube for Between to Kings is here!Just a short year ago Kiss of the Basilisk (or Split or Swallow for those of you who’ve been here since the beginning 🙌) took the r...
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Episode 85
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Son OF A Witch!!! Wicked Book 2 Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts
Today we continue our coverage of the Wicked 5-book universe by Gregory Maguire with book two: Son of a Witch! We’re diving into political fantasy like we never have before, just in time to watch Wicked for Good with all of you!
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Ep 84 "AM I THE A HOLE?!" 👻 🎃 HALLOWEEN Edition + Fall Book Recommendations and Hopefuls!
It’s that time of year again! Time to react to AITA Halloween Stories, time to put on our special surprise wigs, try not to laugh at literally everything we say, and give you guys the spoiler free Hallowee...
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Episode 84
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"Are People Born Wicked?" Wicked Book 1 Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts
Today we begin our coverage of the Wicked 5-book universe by Gregory Maguire. We’re diving into political fantasy like we never have before, just in time to watch Wicked for Good with all of you! Check out our latest Tuesd...
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Ep 83 Are BOOKS Actually POLITICAL?? Discussion and Kick off to Wicked Books Deep Dive!
“Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”Today we will be exploring the highly debated topics of whether or not books are inherently political, if politics can even be separated from li...
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Episode 83
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Ep 82 “Halloweentown for ADULTS?” Stepping into the Haven Ever After Books Series by Hazel Mack
Today we’re bringing you a deep dive follow up to a very exciting and mostly spoiler free author interview episode with Hazel Mack all about the monster romcom series that stole our hearts: Haven Ever After! We’ll be discussing all NINE books t...
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Episode 82
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Ep 81 🎃 Very UNHINGED HALLOWEEN Book Reviews! | Burn For Jack & HallowPeen 🌶️
We blinked and it’s suddenly spooky season again… and don’t you know we are not complaining about it! The leaves are turning, Home Depot skeletons are gracing the front lawns of every neighborhood in suburban America, and pumpkin cold fo...
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Episode 81
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Ep 80 WHY YOU NEED TO READ the Haven Ever After Book Series this fall!! | Author Interview w/ Hazel Mack
Today we have a very exciting and mostly spoiler free author interview episode for you! We’re chatting with independently published monster romcom, paranormal romance author Hazel Mack to celebrate the spooky season and to get us all in ...
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Episode 80
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Ep 79 Should You Read This TREASURE HUNTING ROMANCE?? | Among the Curse Gods by T J Lundin
It’s officially time to celebrate the release of the insanely entertaining contemporary treasure hunter romance that took Ashley and Liz by storm! Among the Cursed Gods by T.J. Lundin is out now and available to order on paperback and Ki...
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Episode 79
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