The 5 O’Clock Book Club
by Emily and SK
It’s 5 O’Clock somewhere! Join us, Emily and SK, for a happy hour book club discussion (wine not included). We will select all types of books from silly to smutty to serious, read them on our own over the week, and meet for a happy hour to discuss. Episodes come out every Wednesday!
Episodes
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Ep 40: The Library at Mount Char Discussion (Weird Flex, but OK...)
Happy Monday! Why wait for a Wednesday when an episode is edited and ready for upload, amiright! This week we read The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. This was his debut novel and certainly a wild ride. Neither one of us knew quite what to expect, nor could we possibly have been able to....
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Ep 39: Piranesi Discussion (A Thumbelina Story)
Happy Wednesday! As promised we are still semi-back! This week we read the instant-classic, Piranesi, by Suzanna Clark. A traipse through a classical architecture-inspired, labyrinthine, Salvador Dali-esque "house" turns slowly into a dark academia style mystery in this unique novel. Spoiler…
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Ep 38: Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy #9, FINALLY!!!) Discussion
Well, well, well… if it isn’t Wednesday! That hasn’t meant anything for the last 7 months, but it means something today… The 5 O’Clock Book Club is back! We had to take some time off because life is crazy (you know how it is)! But we are semi-back and so happy to be. You can start expecting new...
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Ep 37: Alchemised Discussion (Nutcrackers and Botox)
Happy, happy Wednesday and welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we read SenLinYu's debut novel, Alchemised. This book has been long-awaited, it has broken records, and it is SO good. Alchemised is an adapted version of an online work by the same author called...
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Ep 36: Razorblade Tears Discussion
Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! (I know it's Thursday, but we can pretend we're not a day late). This week we read what we proclaim to be a masterpiece, Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. What isn't this book? To call it a crime novel (which it is)...
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Ep 35: Didion and Babitz Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week, we read the ultimate cool-girl nonfiction book, Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik (forgive our consistent mispronunciation of Anolik in this ep). Are you Team Didion or Team Babitz? It seems like there's only…
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Ep 34: Great Big Beautiful Life Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of the 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we read the new-ish bestseller Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. They're writers, she's bubbly, he's a storm cloud, they're obsessed with each other, 50s rich people flashbacks. What more could you…
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Ep 33: Project Hail Mary Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome to another episode of the 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we read the highly acclaimed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Project Hail Mary came out in 2021, but with a movie adaptation scheduled for 2026 has been as relevant as ever this year. We had to get in on the hype…
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Ep 32: Heartless Sky & Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy #7 & #8) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another (now biweekly) episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. We are SO close to being done with this series. One more to go! Anyway, in this episode, we read books 7 and 8, both at a page count of over 1000. We are dealing with some Zodiac exhaustion but we continue...
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Ep 31: Fated Throne (Zodiac Academy #6) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! We're baaaaaackkkk!!! Your girls simply had to take a little summer break from the pod, but we are back and better than ever. This week we read the 6th installment of the Zodiac Academy series, Fated Throne by Caroline Peckam and Suzanne Valenti. We are riveted, we are enamored,...
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Ep 30: Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy #5) Discussion
Hello and happy Wednes--- Friday! (Sorry for the late upload this week!) This week we read book 5 in the Zodiac Academy series, Cursed Fates. The series is long, the books are longer, but we are plowing through them. Things are starting to get REAL in Solaria and as always, we are on the edge of...
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Ep 29: Exodus (The Ravenhood #2) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week, we're back with the second book in The Ravenhood series, Exodus, by Kate Stewart. The first one tore us apart, this one continued to tear us apart until it... patched us up again? Maybe? All we know is we…
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Ep 28: Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we read Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. As two former *cough* current *cough* The Hunger Games die hards, we couldn't wait to hear about Haymitch's Games. This prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy did...
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Ep 27: American Dirt Discussion
Hello, and happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week, we read American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. We had no idea about the controversy surrounding this book before we decided to read it. However, before our discussion, we did some research and were…
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Ep 26: The Anomaly Discussion
Hello, happy Wednesday, and welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we read a book originally written in French, The Anomaly, by Herve Letellier. Have you ever wondered what would happen if there were another YOU? This is the big question that Letellier asks readers…
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Ep 25: Flock (The Ravenhood #1) Discussion w/ Sarah
Hello and happy Wednesday! Get ready for a super special episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week, we have our very first podcast guest, Sarah, cohosting with us! Sarah works for Kensington Publishing Corp. and got us hooked up with some sweet books, including Flock by Kate Stewart, which we...
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Ep 24: The Year of Magical Thinking Discussion (Minisode)
Happy Wednesday! Welcome to a little minisode discussion from The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. This book explores grief, loss, and how to carry on living afterward. Didion is an iconic American writer and this was both of our first Didion...
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Ep 23: The Reckoning and Shadow Princess (Zodiac Academy Books #3 and #4) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week is a twofer! Get ready to discuss Zodiac Academy books 3 and 4, The Reckoning and Shadow Princess. The girls are getting more confident, the boys are basically just as mean, the relationships are getting steamier…
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Ep 22: Kindred Discussion
Hello and happy Wednesday! Welcome to another episode of the 5 O'Clock Book Club. Spring has sprung and the sun is shining. This week we read Kindred by Octavia Butler. Kindred is a highly acclaimed sci-fi-meets-feminist-meets-social justice novel that has been described as Afro-futurism. Dana is…
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Ep 21: The Secret History Discussion
Happy Wednesday! After a hiatus week, we are back and better than ever! Spring has sprung, and we are feeling great. This week we read a cornerstone of dark academia, The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This book is full of mystery, intruige, lengthy descriptions, and hedonistic hijinks. If that...
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Ep 20: James Discussion
Hello, hello! Another Wednesday, another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club; and not just any episode, but our 20th! After a solid 20 minutes of fixating on sparkling beverages and yoga, we discuss the book James by Percival Everett. James was short-listed for the 2024 Booker Prize (though it did...
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Ep 19: Demon Copperhead Discussion
Happy Wednesday, kings and queens! We are back again with another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Demon Copperhead won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction and it's easy to see why. This…
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Ep 18: I Who Have Never Known Men Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! As you can see, we're reading a different book than the one we said we were going to this week (sorry). However, in honor of International Women's Day (earlier this week) aaaaand in honor of Demon Copperhead being a...
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Ep 17: Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. Em is back from Costa Rica, so we're done with our pre-recorded movie minisodes and are coming at you "live"-ish. This week, we finally read and discussed Rebecca Yarros's highly anticipated Onyx Storm, the third book in...
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Ep 16: Whiplash (Movie Minisode)
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to the 5 O'Clock Book Club! This is our final week of movie discussions (for now). SK's pick this week was Whiplash (2014). This movie is a masterful display of acting, directing, editing, sound mixing, and everything else that goes into filmmaking. We are both...
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Ep 15: Grizzly Man (Movie Minisode)
Hiiiiiii (we're running out of greetings, lol)! Welcome back to our second movie minisode. This week we'll be discussing one of Em's favorite movies, Grizzly Man (2005). This documentary by Werner Herzog combines interviews conducted by Herzog as well as footage taken by Timothy Treadwell to…
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Ep 14: When Harry Met Sally (Movie Minisode)
Happy Wednesday! The 5 O'Clock Book Club is back... but with a twist! Enjoy a three minisode run of movie discussions while Emily is in Costa Rica doing her yoga teacher training. Our first selection is one of SK's favorites (and one that Em had never seen), When Harry Met Sally (1989). Truly an...
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Ep 13: Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) Discussion
Hello, hello, and happy Wednesday! We are back with another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. (Forgive our unforeseen absence last week. We were dealing with a crazy emergency, but we are back and better than ever!) This week we read the second and final book in the Letters of Enchantment...
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Ep 12: Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy #2) Discussion
Hello listeners! Happy Wednesday and welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we finally read the second book in the Zodiac Academy series, Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. Was this book objectively good? No. Would we recommend it widely? Also no....
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Ep 11: Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) Discussion
Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we are discussing the first book in the Letters of Enchantment duology, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. Ross introduces a unique fantasy world where a fresh take on Greek-mythology-esque gods mixes with a...
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Ep 10: Bewilderment Discussion
Hellloooooo listeners! Happy New Year! We are back for 2025 and kicking off strong with a beautifully depressing read. Bewilderment by Richard Powers explores the potential effects of modern science and technology in a not-too-far-away United States. Astrobiologist Theo Byrne and his son Robin...
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Ep 9: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) Discussion
Hello, hello and happy holidays! Welcome back to another episode of the 5 O'Clock Book Club. This week we read a book that really needs no introduction (though we did provide one), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. It's no wonder that this is book one of the best-selling…
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Ep 8: Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) Discussion
Hello and welcome to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we read the second in Rachel Gillig's The Shepherd Kind duology, Two Twisted Crowns. This book was a super solid follow-up to One Dark Window. While the first book in this duo followed the love story of Elspeth and Ravyn,...
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Ep 7: Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) Discussion
Hellooooo and welcome back! Buckle up and get ready for this, our first 2-hour episode. This extended yap sesh can be attributed to missing last week's episode (sorry), this book being a million pages, and a very literal interpretation of happy hour (tee hee). That being said, this week's book…
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Ep 6: One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) Discussion
Hello, hello! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we read Rachel Gillig's dark, moody, and atmospheric One Dark Window. This first novel of The Shepherd King duet is unlike any fantasy book you've ever read due to its truly unique magic system. It's giving tarot...
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Ep 5: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Discussion
Welcome back to another episode of The 5'Oclock Book Club!This week we read and discussed one of 2022's most acclaimed books, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. If you're not a gamer, don't be off-put by this book's description - we aren't either. While centering around the...
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Ep 4: Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) Discussion
Hey, hey, hey! Welcome back to another episode! We finally read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros! This was a first read for one of us and a second read for the other so we brought some different perspectives to the discussion. Fourth Wing is a stand-out within it's genre. We love the slow-burn...
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Ep 3: Eileen Discussion
Welcome back to another episode of the 5 O'Clock Book Club!This week we read Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. This one's for all my weird girls, this one's for all my grimy girls!!! Eileen is a truly strange novel about a truly strange woman told eloquently, but never pretentiously. Eileen reads like…
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Ep 2: The Awakening (Zodiac Academy #1) Discussion
Hey guys!!! Welcome back to another episode of The 5 O'Clock Book Club! This week we are delving into the dark romantasy series, Zodiac Academy, with book #1 The Awakening. What to say about this book? We certainly had our qualms, but overall this book was a fun, fast-paced, adventurous…
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Ep 1: The Shining Discussion
Hello listeners! We are back this week with a bit of a revamp (which we'll explain in the episode). Welcome to our Halloween-ish episode. This is our third and final installment of spooky season reads and we had to go for the most iconic one: The Shining by Stephen King, of course! Pour up a…
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About this show
It’s 5 O’Clock somewhere! Join us, Emily and SK, for a happy hour book club discussion (wine not included). We will select all types of books from silly to smutty to serious, read them on our own over the week, and meet for a happy hour to discuss. Episodes come out every Wednesday!
Hosted by
Emily and SK