Episodes
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A Brand New Page | What's Next for The Book Jar Podcast
The Book Jar is back, and we're turning over a new page. In this episode, we're catching you up on what's new around The Book Jar, as well as introducing you to two new(ish) hosts that you'll be seeing, or rather hearing, a lot more from! Enjoy! Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an...
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Who Would Win A Fictional Fight Between...? | Let the Fighting Begin!
Let the fighting begin! In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss, argue, and fight over who would win between fictional characters in fictional fights. From Dracula and Rhysand to Emma and Lizzie Bennet, this episode is throwing everything down and everyone with them! So, join us while we fight...
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Bookish Confessions | Dust Jackets, Reading Challenges, DNF-ing, and More
It's time to share our deepest reader secrets. In this episode, Marissa and Megan are joined by Alix Calfa from the Queens of Fantasy podcast, to discuss all those things we usually keep to ourselves. We're talking about our bookish confessions, from dust jacket behaviour to reading challenges…
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The Best Bookstores Worldwide | Portland, Edinburgh, Tokyo, and More
Besides that one overly comfortable chair in the corner, every reader's favourite place to be is a bookstore. In this episode, Marissa and Megan share the best bookstores they've explored. From local gems to international stars, these bookstores have one thing in common: they are well-loved and...
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The History of Audiobooks | A Lesson From Megan
Ever heard of audiobooks? How much do you really know about them? In this episode, Megan explores everything audiobook. From the history of audiobooks to its formats, uses, and styles, join along as your two favourite readers explore the world of audiobooks! As usual, the two readers start by...
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Literary Terms 101 With Marissa | Metaphor, Similes, Character Foils & More
It's time to go back to school! And, what better way to celebrate school than with a test? In this episode, Marissa and Megan review literary terms. Or rather, Marissa quizzes Megan on this terminology while putting her friendship at risk. From metaphor and simile to allusions and character…
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Banned Books: Which Ones We've Read And Our Thoughts | Elana K. Arnold, Judy Blume, J.D. Salinger, and More
Books are made to be read, not banned. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss banned books. From the most commonly banned novels to their favourite illicit reads, these two readers dive into why the books are banned and why they disagree. As always, they start the podcast with their most…
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Books You've Been Avoiding On Your TBR (To-Be Read) Shelf | A Feather So Black, Wheel of Time & Many More
This one is dedicated to all the book stacks on all those book shelves just waiting to be read. In this episode, Marissa and Megan uncover their most shameful -- or most interesting -- books on their TBRs that they've been avoiding. From books they didn't even know they owned to books they've…
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Biggest Bookish Pet Peeves | A Feather So Black, Wheel of Time & Many More
All the things that make us cringe, gag, and recoil away from a book within an instant. From abhorrent stickers on book covers to the worst plot devices we've ever read, this week Megan and Marissa discuss their biggest book pet peeves. Marissa also shares an embarrassing reader faux pas she...
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Reading Challenges: Everything We Love & Everything We Don't | Crossroads of Twilight, Yellowface, Funny Story & More
Anybody up for a challenge? Reading challenges are popular across TikTok, StoryGraph, and pretty much anywhere you find readers. Megan and Marissa give their thoughts on reading challenges – which ones they love and which ones they can't quite get into. Megan compares reading challenges to…
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Let's Talk About BookTok 2.0 W/ Alix Calfa | Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Hoover, Robert Jordan, And More
Alix Calfa joins us for a surprise guest episode! Marissa and Alix discuss BookTok – and, in fact, all things about books online. The readers tackle discussing good recommendations and poor ones, as well as some of the more popular BookTok books and whether they are worth the read. As always, we...
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Our Favourite – And Most Remarkable – Bookmarks | Bookmarks, Notation, Dog-Earring, And More
Do you use bookmarks? Marissa and Megan discuss the most remarkable bookmarks they've had over the years. From American one-dollar bills to a leather marker with a flower that seems one petal short, both readers talk about whether or not they use them, what will count as a bookmark, and whether...
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Top Tips to Getting Out of A Reading Slump | Book Clubs, Reading Challenges, DNF-ing & More
Slumps suck. Reading slumps extra suck. Every avid reader has been through one reading slump or another and, while sometimes they are inevitable, there are some ways to get through them without losing your mind. Marissa and Megan discuss their experiences with their own reading slumps, and all…
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Our Top Villains In Literature | Dracula, President Snow, Sauron & More
Everybody loves a good villain. From the most sinister non-human entities to the humans we start to empathize with, we've got all the best baddies from books we've read. We start with a classic President Snow and end with an even more classic villain who will suck your blood, and we hit every bad...
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Our Favourite Autobiographies & Memoirs | Vivek Shraya, Jennette Mccurdy & More
From the rawest insight into people's lives to illuminating spotlights on important issues, biographies and memoirs can leave a long-lasting impact. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss their favourite memoirs and autobiographies. Marissa discusses several dancer and a few artists' memoirs,...
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Poetry 101: Top Tips for Getting Into Poetry | Lang Leav, Shakespeare, Dickinson, Plath & More
Welcome to Poetry 101. Marissa is a big poetry buff, and this week we're discussing all our best tips for getting into poetry. Throughout this podcast, Marissa and Megan share their experiences with poems and poetry – and give you all the reasons why you shouldn't be scared of them, no matter…
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Best Book Recommendations We've Given Each Other | Iron Widow, Lore Olympus, Throne of Glass & More
Will we hurt each other's feelings? You'll have to listen to find out! In this episode of The Book Jar Pod, Megan and Marissa discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the books they've recommended to each other over the years. From some classic recommendations like Sabriel and Iron Widow to…
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Let's Catch Up On Our Most Recent Reads! | Silver in the Bone, The Wheel of Time, Cruel Illusions & More
Megan is back! And we have some book talk to catch up. Marissa and Megan go through their most recent reads – all 25 books they've read since they've last met. From Heartstopper and Fly By Night to The Fires of Heaven and The City of Brass, join your fave readers as they rate and discuss all the...
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Fave Female Characters in Books w/ Alix Calfa & Tay Andresen | The Poppy War, Stormlight Archive, Sabriel & The Hunger Games
Let's have some girl talk. And by girl talk, we're talking about our fave girlies in books. To top it off, Marissa is joined by both Alix Calfa and Taylor Andresen, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy. The three readers discuss an abundance of amazing female characters they've read in...
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Let's Talk About BookTok w/ Alix Calfa! | Twilight, ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas, Fourth Wing & More
Another week, another guest. Alix Calfa, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast, joins Marissa to discuss a truly industry-changing social media platform: BookTok. Both Alix and Marissa point out the good, the bad, the ugly, and the inspirational aspects of such a whirlwind force…
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Your Fave Feminist Reads w/ Taylor Andresen | Mona Eltahawy, Mikki Kendall, Xiran Jay Zhao & More
We have another guest on this episode of The Book Jar Pod: Taylor, from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast. Together, Marissa and Tay discuss a topic close to their hearts: What are some of your fave feminist reads? Taylor starts by recounting some of her most recent reads, and…
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Books & Literature Trivia Contest | Featuring Tay & Alix From the Queens of Fantasy Podcast
It's a crossover episode! We have two fabulous guests from our sister podcast, The Queens of Fantasy podcast, with us and we've decided to use a totally legitimate trivia contest and not-at-all-random scoring system to determine the reader who knows the most chaotic facts. Marissa, Megan, Alix…
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2023: A Year In Review | Wrapping Up Our 2023 Best & Worst Reads
It's been one heck of a year! And, we feel like we need to talk about the best – and the worst – books we read this year. So, join us, as both readers recap their year. From the number of books and pages read to the genres that filled those pages, these readers are going over it all – and we're...
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Our Favourite Unproblematic Authors | R.F. Kuang, Xiran Jay Zhao, Chloe Gong & More
Megan and Marissa switch up their topic to talk about some amazing authors who also seem like great human beings. From calling out racism and misogyny and talking about hard-to-talk-about topics to donating time, money, and resources to charity, these authors are some of our favourites to read…
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Fan-Casting Popular Books (And Our Fave Novels) | Throne of Glass, Dracula, ACOTAR, Sabriel & More
Casting movies and TV shows is a hard task. Naturally, this means we have to try it out for ourselves. In this episode, Marissa and Megan fan-cast some popular and some of their favourite novels. Marissa personally takes a hand at casting for Dracula, Throne of Glass, and A Court of Thorns and...
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NSFW Best and Worst Sex Scenes You've Ever Read | The Crown of Gilded Bones, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Haunting Adeline & More
Talk dirty to me... or maybe don't. In this NSFW episode of The Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan share the best and the worst sex scenes they've read in novels. From terrible anatomy to euphemisms sheathed between lines, these sex scenes will leave you with questions you don't want answered.…
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Tropes That Belong In Trope Jail | Talking About ACOTAR, Ninth House, City of Bones & More
Content Warnings: Incest, sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, pedophilia Straight to Trope Jail! Alright, we're talking about all the tropes that make us the most irritated. In short, the ones that make us wish we could make writing those tropes absolutely illegal. As always, we start by…
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What Books Took You Forever to Read? | Dracula, The Burning Gods, Emma & More
No matter your reading speed, some books just sit on your "currently reading" shelf for longer than others. From being a bit on the slow side to being a more challenging read, these books aren't necessarily bad (though, sometimes, they are) but they do take extra time, dedication, and…
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All Of Our Most Recent Reads | Megan & Marissa Play Catch Up
Megan returns and we're using the first podcast to catch up on all the great books both readers have read over the past few months. They end by discussing their current reads and revealing the next topic pulled from the book jar. Expect us to discuss: Angel Mage by Garth Nix A Beautifully Foolish...
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What Is Your Favourite Fantasy Series Or Books w/ Alix & Tay | Stormlight Archives, The Wheel of Time, Percy Jackson & More
Dragons, elves, witches, warlocks, adventures with Hobbits, fae kings and queens: what's not to love about fantasy novels? While fantasy is a fun and captivating genre to read, some fantasy books hit us harder. From high fantasy worlds dreamt up by Tolkien, Sanderson, and Maas to gripping low...
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The Best Book Endings With Alix Calfa | The Awakening, Lord of the Rings & Throne of Glass
What makes a good book ending? From the nicely wrapped-up books written by Jane Austen to the frustrating, hand-wringing cliffhangers by Sarah J. Maas, Marissa and Alix, our guest star, discuss all the books that ended perfectly – at least for them. We end with an exciting announcement about our...
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What Books Influenced You As A Reader? | Twilight, The Hunger Games, Throne of Glass & More
Alix is back with Marissa to discuss all the books that influenced them. From changing what type of main characters they looked for to reminding them of the value of a fast and fun read, Marissa and guest, Alix, are diving into a wonderful world of books that left their mark. The two readers end...
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What Is Your Best Literary Brag? | Talking About Fast Reading, Classics & Owning A Lot Of Books
Marissa is joined by a different reader this week, Alix Calfa. Together, Alix and Marissa discuss their biggest and greatest literary brags. From accounting the many books they've read over the years to the amazing feat of being able to read in a car, the two readers use this rare opportunity to...
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What Genres Are You Surprised Are Popular & Which Do You Wish Would Get More Love?
Trends are often surprising. In this episode, our two readers discuss all the surprise trends they've seen recently – and some they wish would come back around. From the surge of love for historical romance novels to the desire to find a few more steampunk novels on the shelf, we're here to…
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What Is Your Favourite Book With A Sad Or Tragic Ending? | Romeo & Juliet, We Were Liars, No One Is Talking About This & More
Sometimes, a happily ever after just isn't possible. This week, Megan and Marissa discuss their fave books that end in sadness and tragedy. From Romeo & Juliet to No One Is Talking About This, get ready to hear about the saddest stories that we loved reading. Please be warned that this episode…
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Who Are Your Favourite Popular Young Adult (YA) Characters? | The Hunger Games, Throne of Glass, The Hate U Give & Sailor Moon
Young adult characters are some of the most memorable characters in literature. Whether inspired by real-life events or for the purpose of flying around mythical lands, YA characters can obtain their popularity for many reasons. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss which popular YA…
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What Books Do You Wish Would Get An Adaptation? | The Shining, A Magic Steeped In Poison & More
The book might be better, but sometimes the movie just hits the spot. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the books they'd love to see come to life on the screen. From favourites they want to see come alive to stories that had potential but didn't marvel, we dive into these books and what...
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How Do You Decide Which Books You Keep On Your Shelf? | A Series of Unfortunate Events, Twilight, Ruth Ware & More
Are you a book hoarder or a careful collector? In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss how they decide which books get to grace their shelves and which ones get donated or sent away. From beautiful copies to nostalgic editions and everything in between, these two readers are discussing the...
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Our Favourite Plot-Based Tropes | The Hunger Games, Sailor Moon, Lord of the Rings & More
When it comes to plots, we all have tropes we love. From enemies becoming friends to found family and more, Megan and Marissa discuss the plot tropes they can't get enough of. Both readers dive into the specifics of the tropes that they love – and expect us to gush about our absolute favourite...
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What Book-Related Questions Have We Always Wanted to Ask Each Other? | Megan & Marissa Quiz Each Other
It's like 20 questions, but all about books! Megan and Marissa ask each other book-related questions that they've always wanted to ask each other. From debating who would win a crossover Hunger Games between Sabriel and Katniss to discovering the best and worst book recommendations we've given…
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If You Could Make One Change To A Book, What Would It Be? | Twilight, City of Bones, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes & More
This one is dedicated to all the books that were almost a favourite – if it weren't for that one thing. In this episode, our beloved readers, Megan and Marissa, reveal the changes they'd make to a few novels to improve the story for them. Removing tropes, changing character arcs, and removing a...
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Meet The Readers: Marissa & Megan Talk Books, Hobbies & More
Megan and Marissa are answering questions about themselves this week. From discussing their non-book-related interests and hobbies to recalling how they started reading and met, the two readers are deep diving to help you get to know them better. Expect us to discuss: The Anthropocene Reviewed by...
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Books That Were Our Quickest Reads | Sue Lynn Tan, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, Colleen Hoover & Many More
This one's for those readers still reading at 2 am, even though they have to work the next day. In this episode, Megan and Marissa are recounting the books that they burned through quickly – for both good and bad reasons. We start by discussing our most recent reads and then move into the topic,...
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Books We've Read With the Worst Endings | It Ends With Us, The Burning God, My Name Is Memory & More
A good ending is important. A bad ending can ruin the book. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the worst endings to books they've read. From leaving a sour taste in our mouths to completely destroying a beloved series, the worst endings come in all shapes and sizes. We start this episode…
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Why Do YA (Young Adult) Authors & Books Get So Much Hate? | Twilight, The Hunger Games & More
It's easy to find hate about the YA genre. From protesting that these books aren't valuable to keeping adults from reading YA, it seems there are so many reasons people hate on YA. But is the hate deserved? We think not. Megan and Marissa discuss all the most popular reasons cited for people to...
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What Are Your Favourite Movie And TV Show Adaptations? | Emma, The Hunger Games, Holes & More
Is the book better? Or the movie? How about both? In this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan compare notes on their favourite book-to-movie/tv-series adaptations. From Jane Austen's plethora of movies to nostalgic numbers like Holes by Louis Sachar, we're talking about all...
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Our Reading Goals: A Year in Review & A Glance Forward
Everyone loves a reading goal. Marissa and Megan are back to discuss their reading goals for 2023 – plus a review of how 2022 has been for us! We start by discussing 2022 and how our reading looked throughout the year. Then, we make new reading goals for the upcoming year. We end it off by...
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Overhyped Books That We Didn't Fall In Love With
Marissa and Megan discuss some overhyped books in this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast. From some self-help books that didn't help to TikTok recommendations that didn't stick, we're talking about it all. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add...
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The Top Dedication Pages in Books We've Found
Dedication pages are fun – and sometimes they're just a bit sweet, sad, or beautiful. We're resisting favourite dedication pages we've discovered through our reading history. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, upcoming reads, their book club, and other bookish things! Want your...
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Books You Wish You Could Read For The First Time Again | Sabriel, The Ones We're Meant to Find & Jane Eyre
There's nothing like the first time. Megan and Marissa discuss which books they wish they could read again for the first time. Marissa takes into consideration her all-time faves, while Meg wonders what it might be like if she read books she doesn't think she would like the second time around.…
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