Bibliophiles Anonymous

We are finally back! Sorry about that everyone. It's been a rough few weeks. In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess continue their discussion of My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent, the first book in the Soul Screamers series. We get confirmations on certain theories about what is actually going on, but of course, that leads to nothing but more questions. Nash is being over protective, Tod is being creepy, and Kaylee is determined to see this through her own way. It's all leading up to the memorial service where they are sure that the number of bean sidhes in attendance will draw out the reaper causing all the problems. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments at our official website. We’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess continue their discussion of My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent. the first book in the Soul Screamers series.  In these chapters, we learn about reapers and meet one of our favorite characters: Tod. He's a reaper with a chip on his shoulder who is none too happy about getting stuck at his boring hospital job. We learn about the master list of death, which Kaylee and Nash try to get Tod to investigate for them. And now that Kaylee knows the truth of what she is, it's time to confront the aunt and uncle, who have been keeping this from her "for her own good." When has that ever worked out? Never! Denise is expounding on one of her theories and Jess is chuckling over Denise's innocence. GoodReads discussion post for this episode can be found here. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. We’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess continue their discussion of My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent, covering chapters 7 through 9. The plot thickens as we find out that Kaylee's aunt and uncle, while still being rather unpleasant, know a lot more about what's going on than we expected (well, than Denise expected - Jess already knew, of course). Seems like everyone knows what's going on - except for Kaylee. She hears an odd phrase used to describe her: "living on borrowed time." What does that mean? We also FINALLY learn why Kaylee has been having these death premonitions - she's not human. She's a bean sidhe, more commonly called a banshee. Lots of information given and one crazy cliffhanger. Are you reading along? Are you enjoying the book so far? GoodReads discussion post for this can be found here. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments on our official website. We’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, we continue our discussion of My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent, the first book in the Soul Screamers series. In this episode we meet Kaylee's cousin Sophie (who is awful) and Nash's mother Harmony (who seems kind of awesome, at least at first. Nash and Kaylee's relationship starts to heat up a little, although the fun is diminished just a bit with two more mysterious deaths: one a random girl at a movie theater, the other Sophie's friend Meredith. Also, weird shadowing things. Because that's not creepy. Also, it is clear now that whatever is going on, Nash is involved up to his eyeballs. We don't know how, but we know he is. Our discussion post up at GoodReads can be found here. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. We’d love to hear from you!

Hey everybody! It's a brand new episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous! We are finally rolling out our new format, where we take a book that one of us has read that the other one hasn't and tear it apart a bit. We call it "I Read It First!" For our first book, we are tackling My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent, the first book in the Soul Screamers series. Jess read this book several years ago, but it's all new to Denise. So far, she's enjoying it. Teenage angst. A strange and scary superpower. A mysterious green-eyed boy. What's not to love! Incidentally, this is the cover that Denise doesn't like all that much. It's way too vampire-y! There has been a GoodReads discussion board set up for this, so feel free to discuss things over there or in comments. Let's get things going! It's a new day here at Bibliophiles Anonymous! Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments on our website. We’d love to hear from you.  

Hello everyone! We are back briefly to let everyone know the future of the podcast. We are not podfading, not giving up. Instead, we are happy to announce that we have a new plan and a new direction for the show. Just in case you don't listen to the podcast, here's the jist. Instead of choosing random topics each week, we will be focusing more on the actual reading of books. We are taking a brilliant idea from Jess and going forward with the "I Read It First" format. We will alternate, one host challenging the other to read a book that they haven't read. We will then split that book up in manageable chunks, a few chapters per show, and do an in depth episode, really digging in to the story. We will also start releasing the show in seasons, one season per book. Our first book is one that Jess is challenging Denise to read: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent. Hopefully the season will start within the next month. This is not to say that we won't occasionally do a special episode where we review an ARC or a new book-to-movie adaptation. But this will be our new main direction. We think that this will allow us to be more focused and more polished. It will also hopefully give our listeners something stronger to hold on to, and will hopefully let us have more discussion and participation. We will start recording season one soon! We hope you will join us! Also, we have a new website address: bibliophilespodcast.com. See you soon!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess bring you their review of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke. We fell in love with the cover and with the title of this book, but did we love the story itself? You'll have to listen to find out. Let's just say that one of us can't wait to read the next book in the series. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss some of the various and strange issues that only bibliophiles seem to have. Consider it a support group, if you will. This topic is taken from one of our favorite websites, "The Broke and the Bookish." You can read their take on the subject here. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments at our official website. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess bring back one of their favorite features: Stump the Host! It's Jess's turn to be challenged, so Denise has chosen to quiz her on the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neil. These books have been reviewed several times on the show (see this episode, and also this one). How did Jess do? You'll have to listen to find out! Don't let Merit down! Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess are BACK (finally!!!) and are ready to review Death's Daughter by Amber Benson. A decent read, which earned a 3.5 star rating from your favorite bibliophiles. Has anyone else out there read it? If so, what were your thoughts? Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliohpiles-anonymous.com. We'd love to hear from you. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss the books that came out last year that, unfortunately, they didn't get a chance to actually read. So many books, so little time! Some of Jess's picks were The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, and also The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg. Some of Denise's picks were The Young Elites by Marie Lu and Perfect Lies by Kiersten White. Of course, there are many more books that we discussed in this episode, so let us know if there were any books that you missed out on last year and are looking forward to this year! Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss some debut novels hitting the shelves in 2015. Books were taken from this list on GoodReads: YA Debuts 2015. Here are some stand outs that we are interested in: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Are there any others on this list that look good to you? Or anything not on this list coming out that you'd like to read? Let's give some new authors some love! Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments at our official website. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess talk about several of the new book-to-movie adaptations coming out this year. Several are books that we know and love, others are unknown quantities. Is it best to read those before the movie comes out in order to not be critical, or to read the book first and know what we’re getting in to? The list we used can be found in this Buzzfeed article. Let us know if you have read any of these or if you are looking forward to seeing any of these movies. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss how they did for their goals in 2014 and make new ones for the new year. Denise did good on her GoodReads list, but failed at her other two challenges. In fact, not only did she make poor progress in completing her series that she started, she made the problem a lot worse. Jess missed her GoodReads goal by one book, which made her a little disgruntled. She also made very little progress in trying to read her bookshelf. New goals for 2015: Jess's GoodRead's goal will be 60 books again, and will also read 5 books from her bookshelf. Denise originally said that she would make her GoodRead's goal 75 books, however after recording, she decided to be crazy and up it to an even 100. She will also attempt to make progress in the series she has started (there are 33 to choose from). Have you set any goals for this year? Let us know! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess overcome technical difficulties to talk about the new authors that they have discovered in 2014. Denise's picks are Laini Taylor, Yasmine Galenorn, and A.G. Howard. Jess's picks are Ransom Riggs, Kate Locke, and Kiera Cass. Of course there are others as well. You know how well we stay on topic! We're also sorry for missing last week. Again, technical difficulties. We're still having a few of them, some of which are a bit obvious. We're hoping to get those straightened out by our next episode. Have you found any new authors that you love this year? Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter (@bibanonpodcast), or leave a comment here. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess ramble for a bit about their current reads and current video game obsessions. During the holidays, episodes will be a bit less focused and a bit more rambly, but that's why you love us, right? Congratulations to our 100th episode winners - Tabi Haswell and Annie Chanse! We will be contacting you to find out what book you would like and where to send it! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave us comments here at our website. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess celebrate their 100th episode! Both of us are still in shock that we've made it this long, and we couldn't have done it without you, our loyal listeners! Two big announcements this time around. First, we are happy to announce our new project - a new podcast! Details are coming soon, but we think that it will be a lot of fun. Also, like the hobbit fanciers we are, we are giving you guys presents on our birthday! All you need to do is wish us a happy 100th episode, either in comments, by email, or on Facebook or Twitter, and you will be entered to win a copy of any book that we've discussed on the show. It can be one that we've reviewed, or one that you've just heard us talk about during our current reads segment. It's quite a list to choose from! Here's to the next 100 episodes! Be a part of the show! You can email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave us comments here. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess are coming to you live from YALLFest 2014! We got to record this one together for once instead of several states apart, which was fun. And yes, a weekend full of fangirling. From left to right: Becca Fitzpatrick, Morgan Rhodes, Scott Westerfeld, Libba Bray, Kami Garcia, Alexandra Bracken, Brenden Reichs, Ally Condie and Michael Johnston We got to sit in on panels talking about everything from gender stereotypes and genre classifications to how some well-known authors feel about seeing their books adapted for the screen. We also got to meet some of our favorite authors, including ones that we've talked about on this show, and get some books signed. Top Left: Laini Taylor, Top Right: Libba Bray, Bottom: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl We encourage you all to try to attend YALLFest next year. It is so much fun. YA authors are the best! Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave comments here. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess review the latest book in Liesel Schwarz's Chronicles of Light and Shadow series - Sky Pirates. This is book three in the series, although not the final book as we once suspected. More adventures with Elle Chance to come. This time, Elle is trying to find a way to save her husband, Hugh Marsh, from being a wraith in Shadow forever. On the way, she is captured and reluctantly joins a crew of pirates, captained by Logan Dashwood, an old friend/enemy. With her feelings for Dashwood growing and old enemies seeking her, Elle must try and find the ancient city of Angor Wat in order to ask the mystical aspara for help in saving her husband. We both enjoyed this book quite a bit. Lots of twists and turns and plenty of adventure. Elle is a spunky heroine who is maturing and coming into her own. And if this Twitter exchange is any indication, we will be seeing a lot more of her in the future. Yay! We always love hearing from authors! Be a part of the show! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter! Next week, our report from YALLFest! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss what has become a very heated topic in the book blogging community lately - the article posted by The Guardian by Kathleen Hale, detailing her attempts to respond and track down a reviewer who posted a horrible review and then mobilized others to do the same. Since many things (blog posts, tweets, etc.) have been deleted, it is hard to say for sure exactly what happened, since we only have Kathleen Hale's version of the story and there hasn't been a response (that we know of) from Blythe Harris (the reviewer in question), we will just say that it looks like both parties were behaving badly and made some not-so-good choices. As always, we will let you the listener weigh in with your opinions. Is this the story of a cyberbully who has used a fake, stolen identity to try and get attention? Is this the story of an author who overstepped her bounds and stalked a reviewer, both online and in person? Is it both? Bottom line: no one in this situation behaved well. Behave yourselves out there, people! Here are a LOT of links: The original Guardian article The GoodReads page for Kathleen Hale's book, No One Else Can Have You A link to Blythe Harris's review of the book in question (language warning) A link to another blog post that has several screenshots and links regarding this situation (note that the opinions of this blogger are not necessarily the opinions of us here at Bib Anon - I'm just including it because of the screen grabs, many of which no longer exist. - D) Chuck Wendig's helpful guide to how to respond to a reviewer (just because it's funny and Chuck is awesome) We will be at YALLFest next week! If you are planning to be in Charleston, let us know! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter! Next week, we will have a review up for the latest book from friend to the show Liesel Schwarz, Sky Pirates. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess celebrate Halloween! Since certain people *cough*Jess*cough* don't particularly like super scary stories, we decided to share with you some of our favorite creature characters that would be appropriate for Halloween. Those would be your witches, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, demons, and other supernatural folk. And oh boy, do we have a bunch of them. Denise also includes a few recommendations for people who are more inclined to read the spooky stuff. Here are a few: Dracula by Bram Stoker Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Dollhouse by Anya Allen Let us know if you have any characters or scary stories to add to this list! You can email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave comments here. We will be at YALLFest this year! Hope to see you there! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess fangirl about all the latest Cassandra Clare news that has come out over the past week. And oh boy, were there a lot of them! First up, they have announced that the Mortal Instruments film franchise will be rebooted into a TV show. Details are slim right now, but we are cautiously optimistic that they might actually do things right this time. You can read about it here. Can we please have something better than this? Please? The next bit of news - there will be a new Shadowhunter e-series. Just like the Bane Chronicles, this new series will be launched as a series of e-book short stories/novellas. It is called Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and will follow Simon as he trains to become Shadowhunter, but will have appearances from other beloved characters as well. Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan are back on board, as is Robin Wasserman. Details can be found here. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess do a lot of rambling as they try to get back into the habit of regular episodes. Jess is continuing to read the God Save the Queen series by Kate Locke and enjoying getting caught up on the TV show Supernatural. She also found an awesome new t-shirt over at Woot. Seriously, how adorable is this? Denise has found a new reading challenge over at GoodReads (like she needs another one) - the Seasonal Reading Challenge. On the plus side, it has helped her get out of a reading slump. On the down side, she has now started three new series that she feels obligated to finish. Be a part of the show! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Send us your topic suggestions, book recommendations, or just general feedback. We would love to hear from you! As always, thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess are back! A big welcome to all the new followers we have somehow gotten during our hiatus. We were gone for several reasons, some good and some bad, but we are back and ready to go! This episode has no specific topic, other than to just catch up a little (and remind us how to actually do this). We're mostly just talking about our current reads. Jess is currently reading God Save the Queen by Kate Locke. It's the first book in a trilogy and is a vampire, steampunk-but-modern-day story. She is loving it. Denise is currently reading Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig. It's also the first book in a series, and is a dystopian, sci-fi deal. She picked it up mostly because she loves Chuck's website, "Terrible Minds," which is an excellent site if you are interested in writing and are not easily offended. Be a part of the show! We are still looking for topic recommendations, since we are now back to actually recording, so let us know if there is anything you'd like to hear us talk about. You can email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave us comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Our 100th episode is coming up fast and we will have lots of goodies happening around then, so stay tuned! Thanks for listening (and being so patient with us)! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Jess get her turn to try and stump Denise, this time with trivia from Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. How will Denise do? Listen and find out! Be a part of the show! Recommend books or topics, submit ideas for "Stump the Host," or leave us a question! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We also wouldn't say no to a nice review over on iTunes. :) Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess finally make good on their promise to review one of their BookBub finds: Magic of Thieves by C. Greenwood, the first book in the Legends of Dimmingwood series. Pretty cover. You know how much we love strong female characters with bows! Wish the bow had gotten a bit more attention in the story though . . . The book had a lot of good setup for the series, and definitely leaves the reader wanting more. Parts of it were a bit underwhelming though. Jess thought that it reminded her of the beginning of the Ranger's Apprentice which became one of her favorite series of all time despite the slow start. We have both agreed to at least read the next Dimmingwood book and see where it's going. We also beg shamelessly for reviews and ratings on iTunes. Because we're classy like that. Also, if you happen to see our flyer floating around social media anywhere, do us a favor and share that thing around. We'd love you forever if you would. :) Have you read this book? If so, what were your thoughts? Please let us know by emailing the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast) or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess talk about all the books they wish they had the time to re-read. And oh boy, are there a lot of them. Here are just a few: Denise Ender's Shadow series by Orson Scott Card The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams Jess The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien The Symphony of the Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan And many more (of course). Are there any books that you're dying to re-read, but just don't have the time? Let us know! We are also taking topic requests and book recommendations for future reviews. Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave a comment at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. You may also have seen our flyer circulating throughout our social media sites. If you don't mind, please share/retweet that bad boy as much as you can. We'd love to spread the word about the show! It's quick, it's easy, and it really helps us out! Thanks so much for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess talk about all the newly released trailers for the latest book-to-movie adaptations. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (book by J.R.R. Tolkien) Mockingjay: Part 1 (book by Suzanne Collins) Additional Mockingjay goodness can be found here and here (President Snow's address to the people of Panem). Honorable Mentions: Horns (book by Joe Hill If I Stay (book by Gayle Forman) The Maze Runner (book by James Dashner) Are you excited about these trailers? Are there any other new book-to-movie adaptations that you are looking forward to? Let us know! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess sample a few more tiny questions from Booking Through Thursday. Topics include fanfiction, story world vs. character development (a good book should have both), the inportance (or not) of explicit details, and others. Upcoming shows: Movie trailers (Mockingjay, The Hobbit:The Battle of Five Armies, Maze Runner, and If I Stay) Book review: Magic of Thieves by C. Greenwood (a BookBub book still currently available for free at Amazon) Want to weigh in on any of these topics? Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or on Twitter, or leave comments here. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess pay tribute to one of their favorite bookish discoveries - BookBub.com.  Although ebooks look a bit different, the sentiment is the same. We've mentioned BookBub before, but this time we wanted to highlight how great this service is. Basically, BookBub finds a bunch of free or discounted ebooks available on promotion from places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other indie publishers. You can go on their website, select the types of books you like, and they will send you an email every day telling you about books you might like. Denise and Jess have both found many books through BookBub (it's playing havoc on our TBR lists!), and for this episode, we give some details on our new finds, just to give our listeners an idea of some of the things you can find. Do you use BookBub, or another similar service? Have you read any of the books we've highlighted today? Let us know! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess review the year so far, including how they are doing on their goals and stand out books from their lists. Have you set any reading goals for this year? If so, how's it going? Also, Denise is up next in "Stump the Host." Let us know what you want her to be challenged at. Should Jess return the favor and stump her with Eddings trivia? Should we try Cassandra Clare? Something else entirely? Be a part of the show! Email bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook and Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast). Leave us comments at www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess fangirl it up about the latest brand new published story from none other than J.K. Rowling. More Harry Potter! Yay! More about these guys! In this short story, posted first on Pottermore, the Quidditch World Cup is being covered by our favorite gossip columnist, Rita Skeeter. Attending the World Cup are several familiar faces: Harry, Ron and Hermione, of course, but also Neville and Luna. We get little tidbits about their post-Hogwarts lives, some of which we already knew, some of which is new information, and some of which is pure fabrication.  Really Rita Skeeter? Really? Link to the story on the Today Show's website can be found here. Or, if you just want the run down, Buzzfeed has a top twelve list of everything you need to know here. Have you read this new story? If so, what are your thoughts? You can email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, leave us a message on Facebook or on Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We'd love to hear from you! As always, thank you for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess borrow another topic from one of their favorite blogs, "The Broke and the Bookish." We are discussing those very popular, well-known authors or books . . . that we just haven't read yet. In many ways, this makes us bad nerds. In others, we just aren't ready for the emotional onslaught to come. Some authors mentioned that one (or both) of us haven't read: Robert Jordan Raymond Feist George R.R. Martin Anne McCaffery John Green Maureen Johnson Piers Anthony Rainbow Rowell Ally Condie and several more . . . What authors have you always meant to read, but never got around to it? Are there any authors on our list that you say that we should absolutely read? Let us commiserate together! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast), or leave us comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Also, if you subscribe to us on iTunes, please take a minute or two to leave us a review. It will help other people find our show! As always, thanks so much for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess finally get around to responding to Slate.com's article regarding adults who read YA literature. More specifically, the article said that any adult who read YA should be embarrassed to be seen doing so. Hmmm, sounds like something this podcast might take an issue with. :) Link to the Slate article can be found here. And to sum up some of our feelings: Well said, Madeleine L'Engle. Well said. Please share your thoughts! Have you read this article? Do you agree with this person's view point? Why or why not? If you enjoy YA, what are some of your favorite YA books that deserve attention? We are also looking for topic suggestions/book recommendations for our summer episodes. You can email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook and on Twitter (@BibAnonPodcast). Leave us comments at our official website. We'd love to hear from you. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess finally talk about the final book in the Mortal Instruments series - City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. There are many, many things to say about this book, both how it ends the Mortal Instruments, connects to the Infernal Devices trilogy, and how everything is setting up the next Shadowhunter series, the Dark Artifices. Jess had several predictions for this book, some which were dead on accurate, and some which were only halfway true. All in all, it was a satisfying ending to one of our favorite series of all time. Can't wait to see the story continue in the Dark Artifices, starting in 2015! Have you read City of Heavenly Fire yet? If so, what were your thoughts? If not, what are you waiting for? Please let us know about what you think. We'd love to hear from you! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave comments here. Also, if you listen to the show on iTunes, please rate or review the show. It will help other people find it. :) Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess gear up for the final Mortal Instruments book by discussing their favorite parts of the first five books of the series. Since this is the first time reading the series since finishing the Infernal Devices trilogy, seeing all the connections between the two series is quite enjoyable and unbelievable. Magnus's knowledge of parabatai, the "female warlock," Brother Zechariah's concern for the Herondale family - it all makes sense now! City of Heavenly Fire - bring it on! Of course, whenever we talk about the Mortal Instruments, there is a good chance we will devolve into rants about the City of Bones movie. It's inevitable. Join us next week when all the questions are answered! What are your thoughts about this series? Have you read City of Heavenly Fire yet? If so, what were your thoughts about this grand finale? Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave us comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess bring you the third installment of "Stump the Host," in which Denise tries to stump Jess at Belgariad trivia. We all know how many times Jess has read those books, so stumping her should be very hard to do. How well did it go? Listen and find out! We are currently looking for topic suggestions and book recommendations! You can always email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave us comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We would love to hear from you! Also, if you listen to the podcast on iTunes, please leave us a review over there. It helps other people find the show! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess pick up a topic that had talked about doing a month ago - our favorite characters who have come back from the dead. Of course I came back. I'm too awesome to die! A few ground rules - no vampires who were just being turned. In order for a vampire to count, it had to already BE a vamp, be killed, and then come back. Same rule would have applied to zombies and other such undeadies, but we didn't have any of those on our list. Do you have any characters you would like to add? We tried to bring in both the well-known ones, but also some more that were a bit obscure. If you would like to add to this list, please email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also always leave us comments at our official website. Next week, we will try to stump Jess with Belgariad trivia! If you want to help us with questions, send us an email with "trivia" in the subject line. This will tell her not to read those. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess read and review the book that made the news in Idaho with the latest rash of book banning - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.   Instead of just saying all book banning is wrong, we wanted to look at the book in a clear, unbiased manner to see if the book banners had any grounds to be upset. Guess what? They don't. This book is wonderful and inspiring. It's the story of Junior, a 14 year-old Native American boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. At the beginning of his life, Junior has many serious medical problems that leads him to be bullied and tormented by his peers. When a teacher on the rez encourages him to transfer to the all-white high school in nearby Reardan, Junior takes the risk and goes for it. This book talks about a lot of problems that many Native Americans face - poverty, alcoholism - and shows how one young boy struggles to make a better life for himself. It deals with trying to figure out just who you are when you are in high school, something that all teens can relate to. On top of that, it is full of self-deprecating humor that makes you chuckle throughout even while not holding back on showing some difficult truths. We both agree that one of the best parts of the book is the pictures - why don't more YA and adult books have pictures? Junior is an aspiring cartoonist and uses his comics to illustrate how he feels about certain things. They are wonderful. If you haven't read this book, you should. Everyone should. It is worthy of all the accolades it has received. If you have read this book, let us know what you thought. Do you think it should have been challenged or banned? Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave us comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thank you for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss this book-related news item, courtesy of the Daily Dot: Parent calls cops on teen for giving books away at a book giveaway Yes, you read that right. Book banning has reached a new level of ridiculousness. This isn't a new topic for this podcast, but this time we're calling them out on it. We are challenging our listeners, and ourselves, this week to go read the book in question, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and give it a read. We want a lot of participation for this one. If there are parts of the book you have issues with, let us know. We want this to be a logical, rational discussion about whether or not this book, and others like it, should be taught in schools. Ways to contact the show: email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com,  find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave us comments at our website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We'd love to hear from you, especially this week. As always, thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess review Shadowbound, the latest book in the Shadow World series by Dianne Sylvan. This is such a good series if you are a fan of vampires, good urban fantasy, and snark. This latest installment doesn't disappoint, furthering the plot, bringing well-loved characters more into the forefront, exploring new concepts in the mythology, and introducing new characters who are all kinds of awesome. There are also new villains that no one expected, who will stop at nothing to bring our vampires down, even if it means sacrificing their own souls. For anyone who missed our episode on Queen of Shadows, the first book in this series, you can listen to it here. Also, just for giggles, here is a gem from Dianne Sylvan's official website - Queen of Shadows, as told by LOLcats. Just because it's funny. Next week's topic: our favorite characters who have come back from the dead. Be sure to let us know which ones you would like to see mentioned in the show. Feedback? Topic suggestions? Book recommendations? Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook or Twitter. We would love to hear from you! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess are back and talking about their favorite fictional places that they would love to go visit. Oh come on, who doesn't want to go to Hogwarts? Unsurprisingly, a lot of these revolve around bookstore and/or libraries. Can I just live here? Or hobbits. Who wouldn't want this house?   Jess's favorites: Hogwarts Castle (particularly the Room of Requirement) - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Polgara's kitchen - Belgariad series by David Eddings Cadogan House - Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill Bag End or Rivendell - The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien The New York Institute - Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare Denise's favorites: Diagon Alley (particularly Flourish & Blotts, the bookstore) - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling The Vale of Aldur - Belgariad series by David Eddings The Haven Music Room - Shadow World series by Dianne Sylvan The Green Dragon pub - The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien The Cloud Maze - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern What are some places you would like to visit in fiction? Please let us know! Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a comment at our official website - www.bibliophles-anonymous.com. We would love to hear from you! Also, if you have any suggestions for books or topics that you would like to hear on the show, feel free to let us know! Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss the final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy - Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. This book . . . wow. We will have to recover from this book. Denise will always love the friendship between Will and Jem. Jess finally feels VINDICATED as she sees several of her crackpot theories actually come to pass. This whole trilogy was amazing. If you haven't read it yet, read it now. A reminder - we will not have an episode next week. We will be back the week after. Have you read the Infernal Devices? Were you as taken with it as we were? Let us know what you thought! Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave us comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess continue their discussion of Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy with book two - Clockwork Prince. This story just gets more and more complicated. Full of romance and adventure, twists and turns, and all the Shadowhunter drama you could ever want, book two brings a lot more characters into the spotlight and presents a bunch of new questions that we need answers for! Plus, Jess presents her crackpot theory for the series so far. Is she right or is she way off base? Only time will tell. Are you reading along with the show? Let us know! We'd love to know what you think of the Infernal Devices. Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and on Twitter, or leave us comments on our official website - www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Join us next week when we discuss the final book in the trilogy, Clockwork Princess. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess kick off their read of the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, starting with book one, Clockwork Angel. A prequel to the Mortal Instruments series, the Infernal Devices series follows Shadowhunters living in Victorian England. We meet Tessa Gray, a young American going to live with her brother when she is captured by a pair of women called the Dark Sisters. While in their care, she is forced to reveal the strange power that she has - the ability to shapeshift into different people - a power that she herself didn't know that she had. According to the Sisters, she is to be groomed as the bride of their leader, a mysterious figure known only as "the Magister." Tessa is rescued by two Shadowhunters, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs, who take her to the Institute. There, Tessa begins the process of trying to discover what she is and to solve the mystery of what really happened to her brother. Both Denise and Jess are big fans of Cassandra Clare and, while they've both started this trilogy in the past, neither one of them has actually finished it. Jess admits that these books include yet another one of her fictional crushes, one Will Herondale. Other well-known characters from the Mortal Instruments make appearances as well, like the warlock Magnus Bane and the vampire Camille Belacort. Some things mentioned in the show: Adagio Teas - Do you enjoy a good cup of tea? How about blends dedicated to your favorite fandom! Jess wholeheartedly endorses Adagio for all your tea needs. HebelDesign - For custom made jewelry based off the Mortal Instruments, the Infernal Devices, and more. Be sure to join us next week as we discuss book two, Clockwork Prince! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, we have our second "Stump the Host" feature, where Jess gets to test Denise's knowledge on all things Harry Potter. How did she do? You'll have to listen to find out! Professor Snape will make you study for this trivia challenge! For our next "Stump The Host" episode, Denise will be challenging Jess to Belgariad trivia. That should be fun! Want to participate? Email your questions to bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com with the subject "Belgariad Trivia." That way Jess will know not to read those! Next week begins our read through of the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare, starting with Clockwork Angel. Get started reading folks! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info, or check out our official website at www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com! As always, thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess give you another list of favorite characters, this time dealing with animals. Animal characters, whether they speak or not, always seem to steal whatever scene they're in. Here are our picks: Jess Altra the Firecat from the Mage Storm trilogy by Mercedes Lackey Warrl the Kyree from the Oath trilogy by Mercedes Lackey Emmy from The Redemption of Athalus by David Eddings Smaug from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Skandranon from the Mage Wars trilogy by Mercedes Lackey Buckbeak from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Denise Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa The Cheshire Cat and two thirds of the rest of the cast from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll The direwolves (particularly Ghost and Summer) from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin Gaudior from A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline L'Engle Hedwig from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Maggie from the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn Church from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare Yes, we realize that there are a high percentage of cats on this list. That's because cats are awesome. What are some of your favorite animal characters? Please let us know. Email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments at our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Also, next week is another "Stump the Host" episode. This time, Jess is challenging Denise to Harry Potter trivia. If you want to try and stump her, send your Harry Potter questions to bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com with the subject "Harry Potter Trivia" so that Denise knows not to read those. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess discuss the interview that J.K. Rowling gave regarding her changed views of the Ron/Hermione relationship in the Harry Potter series. This is a fandom that takes its relationships very seriously, and this interview sent it rocking with some people cheering her attitude and some shaking their heads in disbelief. Was it all a lie!?! We also continue the discussion into other authors who have made comments, or out right changes, to their already established stories. Our beloved J.R.R. Tolkien completely rewrote a key chapter in The Hobbit so that he could make it fit better into The Lord of the Rings plot line. David Eddings used prequels, Belgareth the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress to clean up (or add to) inconsistencies within the Belgariad series. George R.R. Martin, while working on the Game of Thrones television show, took a barely existent detail from the Song of Ice and Fire series and blew it wide open. What do you think of when authors make changes to already established stories and canon, either in other works, other mediums, or just in outside interviews? Do you think they should share whatever is in their heads? Or should they leave their stories as is? Links: The J.K. Rowling interview, linked through Hypable.com Pro-Ron article from Tor.com A breakdown of the Renly/Loras relationship clues on Angelfire A discussion of Tolkien's rewrite of The Hobbit from The One Ring.net List of inconsistencies addressed in David Eddings' Belgareth the Sorcerer Please let us know what you think. You can email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and on Twitter, or leave comments on our official website, www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess review Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn. This is the first book in the Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon series, of which there are currently fifteen books. This first book introduces the D'Artigo sisters - Camille, Delilah and Menolly - who are half-human, half-fae agents for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency, connecting the Otherworld with Earthside. This leads them into a number of mysteries, the first book dealing with the murder of a giant and some demons set on causing havoc. We both enjoyed this book and plan on continuing with the series. There is plenty of paranormal romance (including a love . . . rectangle? pentagon?), mystery, and political intrigue. Good stuff. Check out Yasmine Galenorn's official website - www.galenorn.com. Want to be a part of the show? We are looking for topic suggestions and book recommendations. Email the show at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or leave comments here. We'd love to hear from you! Also, if you listen to us on iTunes, please leave us a review. It will help more people hear about the show! Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, we premiere a brand new feature for the show - Stump the Host! Each STH episode will be a different host with a different topic. This week, Denise challenges Jess to a round of Tolkien trivia. How did she do? You'll have to listen to find out! Questions selected from FunTrivia.com' s Ultimate Lord of the Rings Quiz, Wikia.com, and the Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit game. Whoa! Did you see that question? It was really tough! Glad I didn't get that one! This will become a regular feature for the show. Next up, Jess will challenge Denise at Harry Potter trivia. If you want to submit questions for consideration, email them to bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com with the subject "Harry Potter Trivia." Denise promises that she won't read those. You didn't know that one? Seriously? Next week's episode will be a review of Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn. Be sure to check it out! If you have any feedback, topic suggestions, or book recommendations, you can email to bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or on Twitter, or leave us comments here. Don't forget - you can also now submit trivia challenges! Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!

In this episode of Bibliophiles Anonymous, Denise and Jess take a suggestion from the website "I'm Loving Books" and talk about their favorite book covers from last year. This will hopefully become an annual, year-in-review issue. Denise has written reviews of all of hers over at her blog, "Life With No Plot," and we've reviewed all of Jess's picks on the show Denise's favorites: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (review here) White Cat by Holly Black (review here) Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (review here) Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (review here) Divergent by Veronica Roth (series review here) Jess's favorites: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (episode here) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (episode here) Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (episode here) Graceling by Kristin Cashore (episode here) Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (episode here) What were some of your favorite covers from last year? Please let us know! You can email us at bibliophiles.podcast@gmail.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We are also looking for feedback, topic suggestions, or book recommendations for this year. Please send those as well, or leave them in comments at our official website - www.bibliophiles-anonymous.com. Thanks for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe!