On AH Side Note

We are finally reviewing The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins! We might be a little obsessed with the Hunger Games trilogy and now it's appropriate to talk about it. This novel takes place during the tenth Hunger Games and is told from the perspective of Coriolanus Snow, a capitol mentor. Tune in as we discuss how this prequel sheds some light on the development of the Hunger Games, how we felt about the narrator, and our theories about the ending.

Today's book review is The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. This is a heartfelt novel about two patients in neighboring wards who strike up an unlikely friendship. This is definitely one of those books that tears at your heartstrings and makes you appreciate every moment you spend living. Please join us as we discuss our thoughts on the book, the crime of having to return popular library brooks, and the decision making behind picking the perfect plane book.

Today we are recapping our 2025 quarter 1 reading journey! This year has seen a lot of change for us and we are so excited to share our thoughts with you all. We are finally in a reading high and Amy has seen a change in her reading habits due to her new kindle. Tune in to hear more about how we've hacked the reading system.

Do you ever wish you liked a book more than you actually did? Unfortunately, that was Amy's experience while reading today's book. Don't Hex and Drive by Juliette Cross is the second book in a paranormal romance series about a family of witches. Tune in to join our discussion about why we think Amy didn't like this sweet urban mystery fantasy. On the other hand, I found it surprisingly delightful! Let us know what you thought!

We've been on a reading grind and we're back with another book review! Today we're discussing Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli, an enemies-to-lovers YA fantasy novel. Thank you BookTok because this book was a fantastic read! We chat about what we enjoyed, sing the praises of duologies, and try to think of sequels we enjoyed. Of course, any time sequels come up we have to talk about Iron Flame. Somehow we end up comparing The Empyrean series with the Harry Potter series and their ability to maintain their relevance and audience.

Today we are stepping out of our comfort zone with our review of Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas. This is a contemporary romance about a small town in Texas where the mayor finds herself in a little bit of trouble. We went into this novel with many expectations and were woefully incorrect. Tune in to listen to our review and hear Amy's ideas on how it could have been better written!

Today, we are reviewing When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker. This is a fantasy romance that was suggested by booktok for being similar to Fourth Wing. However, both Amy and I agree that opinion may have been exaggerated. And that is one of the few things that we agree on about this book. Tune in to find out more! Whether you enjoyed this book or not, you will agree with at least one of us.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today, Amy and I are giving a quick recap into what we've been reading recently, followed by a review of I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang, a classic academic rivals to lovers YA novel that is one of Amy's 5-star reads. We also talk about how underrated YA books are and discuss a couple examples of our favorite YA reads. Let us know if you agree!

In today's episode we are recapping Amy's 2024 reads! This is the year of the spreadsheet and we are loving it. Tune in to hear Amy's five star reads, total books read, average rating, and so much more!

We are back in 2025 with a book review of Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig. This is the sequel to One Dark Window that we reviewed in December. If you haven't checked that episode out, go give it a listen! This is the final book in the duology and we heard that it is even better than the first book. Come find out if we agree with that analysis and how we cope with the multiple POVs (FOUR!!).

Goodbye 2024! Join us in reviewing our Spotify wrapped and looking at which episodes you guys loved this year! We were quite surprised to find out our most listened to episode in 2024. We wanted to say thank you to everyone supporting us and Welcome 2025. Many more book reviews to come!

In February, we picked out a "blind date with a book" and we are finally getting around to reviewing it! In Five Years by Rebecca Serle is about Danie who thinks she has her life planned out perfectly. She is working towards her dream job and she is dating the love of her life. Little does she know that a dream is about to turn everything upside down. This story is about love and, most importantly, the kind of friendship that turns into family. We are once again at odds with our book ratings and we are still taking answers to our burning questions: What was the point of this book? Who is recommending this? And why did she write this? Because we are still wondering!

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig is a YA fantasy about a kingdom that is being overrun by a magical fog that is pulling people away from their homes and one girl's quest to save everybody and her herself from the monster within. In this episode, we break down our reviews, the magical system, if we'll read the sequel, and other YA books that we've liked. 

We are back with another book review! The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston is a time travel romance that touches on grief and finding yourself after loss. It is an incredibly heartwarming book that will make you fall in love with reading and life. Tune in to hear our review and listen to Hailey contemplate the logistics of slipping seven years into the past/present.

Sometimes you find yourself in a never-ending cycle of reading good books, but then you stumble upon one that reignites your joy of reading. Join us as we chat about a couple books that we've been reading that happen to fit quite well into this spoooky season. We also chat about wanting to stay educated, Amy's new love for Facebook marketplace, Hailey's constant dilemma of are all books good, margin preference, Onyx Storm announcement, and a fantasy football update!

Welcome to our analysis of various TikTok stories that have been plaguing us. Today we're starting with the debate that has divided BookTok on if it is okay to give a bad review on books. Then, we jump into the It Ends With Us drama that has taken the internet by storm. We finish with a discussion about the trend that celebrities seem to be growing tired of the fame and how social media humanizes those who used to seem unattainable. 

We're starting September off right with a bit of a supernatural book review. Today we are reviewing Vicious by V.E. Schwab. This novel centers around two friends with a thesis proposal that extraordinary humans can be created in extreme situations and how their experiments to discover the truth changed their lives forever. Come join us for a very interesting discussion on the characters, their supernatural abilities, and if we superhumans exist today.

This week's book review is Funny Story by Emily Henry. As you may know, we are Emily Henry fans! Come and join us as we chat about our review, our thoughts about the characters, and what we didn't like. We contemplate why we don't agree with booktok, Emily Henry's book adaptations, and Amy has a BIG surprise regarding Goodreads giveaways!!

Have you ever wondered how people read hundreds of books a year? Well Amy has and today we are speculating on how that might be possible. Spoiler - we're thinking audiobooks. Come join us as we discuss how we might be able to become audiobook listeners, what we've been reading, and much more!

Welcome back to another book review! Today we will be talking about Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson. This is a suspenseful, crime fiction novel about a murder on a train during a crime-writing festival. The author specifically tries to give the reader clues on who the murderer is. Come find out if we were able to guess correctly!

Do you ever watch a TikTok and want to listen to someone's totally irrelevant opinion on the subject? Well today's your lucky day! In this episode, we are going to be discussing topics from Hailey's accumulation of random points that have peaked her interest. This includes the lobster partnership breakdown, sriracha shortage, Reb Lobster closure, recent celebrity breakups and divorce, capitalism, ethics of billionaires, and the NYC-Dublin portal. We might have been in a sad mood this month...come lament with us!

Today's book review is on Powerless by Lauren Roberts, a young adult fantasy novel about a competition called the Purging Trials where the chosen have the opportunity to earn glory. We discuss our ratings, our feelings on the author's plot line, the prequel, what we just finished reading, and Emily Henry's Funny Story release.

Who could've guessed it? We once again attended the LA Times Festival of Books! But this time, we went to a panel!! Hear us chat about the romance book panel we went to and our experience as veteran festival-goers before we get sidetracked by Amy's update on her reading habits, next year's bookstore scavenger hunt plan, confusion over how to budget as live-at-home girlies, and what is the point of the festival.

Better late than never! Today, we'll be chatting about March Madness, Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, GOAT conversation, and goodbye letter to Tiktok.

Part two of our omegaverse review is here!! Today we are reviewing the highly anticipated Bride by Ali Hazelwood, a paranormal romance between the daughter of a Vampyre councilman and an alpha of the Weres. Do we agree with booktok? Is this the first Ali Hazelwood that Amy likes? Tune in and find out!

I hope you brought your dehumidifier because in this episode we are getting steeeamy! Today we are reviewing The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson. We discuss the omegaverse and our book ratings, how we felt the author implemented this subgenre and a little 4-1-1 on the subject, and Amy's dive into the dark romance of Haunting Adeline.

What makes a book go viral? In this episode, we'll be discussing what books were popular when we were younger and why we think they were successful, how other genres have a different demographic that affects how they find success, what "virality" means to us, and of course much more!

Today we are reviewing Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams. This is a feel-good, no spice, small town contemporary romance novel. Come tune in to hear our opinions on this book and its lack of a third act breakup!

Happy month of love! Today we're chatting about our favorite romance books, the three tiers of romance books, favorite rom-com movies, why we think rom-coms are dying, and a little aside about this latest season of the Amazing Race. Let us know if you have any romance recommendations for us!

On today's episode, we are reviewing The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. I have had this book on my TBR for a while now and I'm so excited that finally get to review this vampire romance! It was an action-packed, heart-swooning 4-star romantasy that we loved! Tune in to hear more of our thoughts!

Today's episode is the long-awaited book review of Iron Flame! We have so many thoughts and questions on this read and we would love to know if you agree with us. If you've read this book, definitely be sure to give this episode a listen because it's a good one!

Happy 2024 everyone!! We're back and looking a little bit different! Today, we'll be talking about our plans for 2023, what we liked about 2023 on this podcast, and our new to-read books. We hope everyone had a great New Year :)

Welcome to Amy and Hailey's reading recap! Tune in as they discuss their recently finished books and the Goodreads 2023 Choice Awards!

Happy Iron Flame release date!! This episode has nothing to do with that. Today, Amy and Hailey are discussing a random assortment of technology topics. This episode starts with a shout out to Thanksgiving, then a discussion about MacBooks, email sorting discord, and time card management (or lack thereof).

Happy Halloween everyone! Today's episode is Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, a much anticipated read. The premise, as written by the author, is "What if you fell in love with the one person you'd sworn to destroy?" If that doesn't entice you, then this episode certainly will. Amy and Hailey are feeling particularly passionate about this novel. It inspired many feelings of slight confusion and rage and much more. You won't want to miss this one!

It is officially fall, y'all! This episode is brought to you by pumpkin spice lattes, yellow leaves, and flannel jackets. Amy and Hailey are talking about everything fall, from their plans for this season to their Halloween costume ideas to potential movie recommendations. Grab a cup of joe and tune in to fully embrace these cozy fall vibes!!

Today, Amy and Hailey are taking it back old school! They are discussing the critically acclaimed Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter! This episode includes a detailed explanation of the series and how it brought these two hosts together. Tune in as they reflect on childhood memories, popular book series then and now, and their opinion on lengthy with book series.

The time has finally come! Amy and Hailey are reviewing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros!!! And yes it is a raving review. They discuss their ratings, popular TikTok theories, their thoughts on Dain and rule followers, comparisons between other fantasy series, and much more. Please share your thoughts and whether or not you agree!

Today, Amy and Hailey are catching up on the small things, like Amy's stressful fantasy football draft and Hailey's reading drought. Come listen as they discuss the impossibility of TikTok creator's bookshelves, what books they would put on their coffee table, and an update on their library books' to-reads. 

Today's book review is Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. This is a romantic fantasy about academic rivals who travel to the front lines of the war to disperse the truth of what is happening. Come join Amy and Hailey as they discuss their feelings on this novel, enemies to lovers in general, popular sports romance books (Icebreaker hot take), and much more!

Today's topic is a little different. Amy and Hailey are talking about recent pop culture news, like Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner divorce and Ariana Grande drama. Also included are important questions like "do you think celebrities are real people?" and "would you want to be famous?". It's a stupendous star-studded, rambling chat!

Today's book review is the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus. It is an inspiring story about a single mother trying to further her career while the world seems hellbent on knocking her down. Tune in to hear Amy and Hailey discuss their review, comparison to other books, how tv shows need attractive actors, book cover trends, and the phenomenon of the third act stall out.

It's football season!! In this episode, Amy and Hailey are discussing fantasy football and pick 'em leagues. And by "discussing" I mean sharing what little knowledge they have. Amy, the reigning champion, is hoping to secure her trophy for the second year and Hailey is hoping for top ten. They also discuss which NFL team they should support this year and whether or not professional athletes are in it for the money or the glory. Drop you opinions below!!

Happy Tuesday! Today's book review is "Dance of Thieves" by Mary E. Pearson. Tune in to hear Amy and Hailey discuss their thoughts on this fantasy YA novel, where a member of the queen's elite team meets the leader of a contested dynasty on a quest for a wanted fugitive. 

Tune in to hear all about Amy and Hailey's feelings on the Eras tour (spoiler: it was amazing), Hailey's trip to Iowa, and Amy's family excursion to Legoland! They also discuss the increase in subscription prices and how much they would be willing to pay for Spotify. 

Today, Amy and Hailey are catching up on Amy's latest trip, board games, and to-read lists. Hailey had a momentary crisis thinking maybe her reading era was over, but she's back. And do you think reading is a hobby?

Calling Emily Henry fans! Amy and Hailey are discussing Emily Henry's newest release, "Happy Place". Spoiler: they were pleasantly surprised! Tune in to hear their thoughts while reading and where it ranks among her other books. A perfect summer read for anyone who is in the mood for intense love and everlasting friendship.

In today's episode, Amy and Hailey are picking up their convo from two weeks ago and delving into dating stories. Amy is in a long-term relationship and does not know the extent of Hailey's modern dating struggles. Tune in for some girl chat and share in the dating woes! They discuss ethically non-monogamous relationships, how to successfully end a date, and general communication issues. 

Today's episode is Amy and Hailey's most divisive book review to date! "If We Were Villains" by M.L. Rio is a gripping story about seven fourth-year acting students who find themselves deeply entrenched in the characters they are playing and what happens when you lose sight of who the villain really is. Join us as we find out who was hanging on the edge of their seat and who would prefer to leave it behind. 

What better time than summer to catch up on TV Shows? Today, Amy and Hailey are discussing their favorite TV shows and what they're watching now. Just crossed off the "to-watch list" is Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and next up is The Witcher. Hear their thoughts regarding Henry Cavill, Scandal, Suits, Master Chef, The Bachelor, and much more. In fact, they had so many thoughts that this episode will be continued in two weeks with a part 2! Stay tuned!