Shelf Absorbed Podcast

This week, we’re diving into The Authenticity Project, a story about what happens when people finally start telling the truth about their lives. Cecylia is joined by two friends, Kat and Jasmine, who’ve shared a 15-year friendship that’s seen it all: growth, distance, joy, hard conversations, and the kind of support that only comes when someone has known you for that long and still shows up.We talk about what it really means to be honest in your friendships, not the curated kind. The kind that requires trust, time, and sometimes, taking a deep breath and saying the thing anyway. We reflect on how we’ve learned to stay ourselves in our relationships, even as life and priorities shift, and what it takes to keep a friendship steady without forcing it to stay the same.And yes, we get into The Authenticity Project itself from the way each character grapples with their hidden truth to our very divided opinions on Hazard. If you’ve ever struggled with being real, felt grateful for a friend who saw you clearly, or just love a good book debate, this one’s for you.Featured Guests: Kat and JasmineFeatured Book: The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

In this episode, Cecylia sits down with Cheyanne Neuenschwander to process potentially the most devastating read of 2025 so far??? Cheyanne brings forward themes surrounding sense of self, romantic love, humanity, morality, and connection in relation to Jacqueline Harpman's novel I Who Have Never Known Men". Together, we unravel the quiet intensity of this dystopian novel, which follows thirty-nine women and one girl trapped underground entirely cut off from history, society, and even the memory of men.Together, we dive into the loneliness and resilience at the heart of this story: what it means to form an identity in isolation, how the absence of history shapes a person, and the quiet hope that lives alongside uncertainty. It’s a conversation that’s raw, reflective, and occasionally irreverent... because sometimes you have to laugh through the existential spiral.Episode Dedication: If you’ve ever felt like you were asking questions no one had answers to, this episode is for you.Featured Guest: Cheyanne NeuenschwanderFeatured Book: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

In this season three premiere, Cecylia sits down with Holly, the first guest of this season, to discuss the harder parts of becoming a mom, how to find your way back to yourself, and validate that if every moment isn't soft lullabies and organic fabric onesies it doesn't mean you're a bad mom.In the second half of this episode, we sink our teeth into Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. This feral, furious exploration of postpartum rage, maternal sacrifice, and identity loss exposes the wild animal that lives inside every mother. We talk postpartum rage, the metaphors we found within the novel, how shitty this lady's husband is, and how embracing the monstrous might just be the most motherly thing of all.Episode Dedication: To any mom that has ever questioned herself, screamed into a pillow, cried in the grocery store, or stared into the mirror wondering where she went. We're in awe of your ability to remain feral, curious, and still full of magic... This one’s for you.Guest Featured: Holly BrowderBook Featured: Nightbitch by Rachel YoderEpisode Resources:- Postpartum International- 988 Suicide Hotline- La Leche League

Calling all dragon riders! Are you ready for Onyx Storm?! In this episode, we provided a general, overall summary of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and chit chat about underlying themes of grief and friendship, potential theories, why Cecylia loves Jack Barlowe, the quadrant Alexandra would be in, and what is next for the Empyrean Series. Unlike our traditional episode format, this episode is FULL of spoilers as we talk about the books in their entirety. This is the refresher to reference before jumping into Onyx Storm next week.  Featured Books: Fourth Wing and Iron Flame Author: Rebecca Yarros

Fear—what draws us to it, and how do we face it? In this episode, we dive into the theme of fear through the lens of Kaylie Smith's Phantasma. The first half is spoiler-free and focuses on the universal experience of fear, the importance of therapy in overcoming it, and society's enduring love affair with the horror genre. Why are we so fascinated by what scares us? Our first guest of season 2, Chrissy Stevenson, sits down and explores this with us. Chrissy is a bookish content creator, horror genre fanatic, a proud pet parent, and an audiobook narrator. In the second half (spoiler alert!), we unravel the book’s deeper layers. From its representation of OCD and mental health, the dynamic between sisters, to the haunting power of getting laid, the discussion sparked this month covers a lot of ground. And, of course, we’ll swoon over Phantasma's phantom book boyfriend—because even in the scariest of scenes, there’s always room for a little romance. Featured Book: Phantasma by Kaylie Smith Featured Guest: Chrissy Stevenson Chrissy's bookstagram and narration handles: @sugar.n.smut and @daisymorgan_narrates Chrissy's Bookish Etsy Shop: @morallygreydesigns

Today, we take you to New Orleans, Louisiana for a story told in our Open Book format.  Say hello to our second Open Book guest, Emily Madeira! Emily is a movement artist, a licensed master social worker, a dancer, and a clown. Her work and art challenge the societal norms oppressing the human body and its natural impulses to play, to touch, to move, and to feel. Emily identifies as queer and polyamorous and is passionate about building networks of community and mutual aid. In the initial chapters of her Open Book, she shares her journey to polyamory from monogamy and the joy of decentering romantic love. She speaks to her evolving understanding of love and the beauty of the queer relationships this has brought her. This leads to a pondering on the impact of creativity, art, human connection, and the power of play. The life of Emily is a refreshing, honest reminder to give yourself permission to trust and enjoy yourself. Featured Guest: Emily Madeira Website: www.herbestinterest.com Instagram: @_herbestinterest TikTok: @Her.Best.Interest Facebook: @HerBestInterest

This week, we introduce you to our next Open Book guest, Danielle Wadding. Danielle is a phenomenal mother, friend, career-woman, and finds her center in the middle of a Brazilian jujitzu mat. We are honored to share her story with you today as she provides a message anyone can carry with them long after this episode ends. In today's episode, Danielle walks us through a difficult year of life in her early twenties where she lost her husband, mother, and child all within a few months span. She takes us through those early days of grief as she navigated life's most unfair dealing of cards. She then brings us through how she started to walk through her own grief to a place of growth and acceptance. Her overall message surrounding your mindset is applicable to any listener. She discusses parenting, self-growth, the benefits of using therapy properly, and more as she takes us through how shifting her mindset has unlocked such acceptance for herself and others. Featured Guest: Danielle Wadding Trigger Warnings Include: Grief and Loss Depiction, Infant Loss, Alcohol Discussion

You just need your headphones and your heart this week as there is no reading prep to fully immerse yourself in the story, start to finish. Welcome to the format that will air the second episode of each month titled Open Book. With each Open Book episode, a book will never be associated as we hear a true story from the individual that wrote it with their experience. We believe you don’t have to be a reader to fall in love with someone’s story; So our Open Book episodes will give us all the chance to fall in love with a story and its storyteller together. After all, the best part of any story is always the person at the center. We are debuting our Open Book format with featured guest, Sydney Finfer. Sydney is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Her story will give you unique insight into the troubled teen industry as she is a survivor herself. Within the pages of her story, Sydney shows us her strong-willed personality, her unwillingness to comply with something she felt was so fiercely morally wrong, and the resilience that has always been so deeply woven into who she is. After being taken in the middle of the night without her consent to a wilderness program, she was then transitioned to a therapeutic boarding school that promised to provide support but instead, caused lifelong harm to her and many other students and parents that trusted this program. This first Open Book episode is full of empathy and justified anger as we shed light on an industry that is hellbent on remaining in the dark. Sydney’s story is one you won’t want to put down as she shows us how chilling and damaging it is to receive this kind of intervention. Open Book episodes will always have black and white imagery for listeners to identify at a glance which episodes do not contain a book. Sydney’s Open Book Dedication: “To all of the other TTI survivors… I see you, I hear you, you are valid.” This episode contains content that may be triggering to some viewers. Our trigger warnings for this episode include mentions of child abuse and suicidal thoughts.

In this episode of Her Best Interest, we are honored to welcome our very first guest. Today's guest, Paige Galloway, shares her journey which embodies resilience and profound insight. She embarks on a deeply personal reflection of loss as she discusses the profound impact of losing her mom last year. Through candid conversations and heartfelt reflections, Cecylia and Alexandra offer support as Paige delves into the myriad emotions experienced in the wake of such a significant loss – from grief and sorrow to acceptance and healing. She offers profound insights into the unique bond between a mother and child, highlighting the influence that continues to shape her life. Tune in to this heartbreaking episode as Paige shares a powerful story of breaking generational curses, unwavering love, and the peace found in forgiveness. Featured Book: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner Featured Guest: Paige Galloway Instagram: @_herbestinterest Facebook: @HerBestInterest TikTok: @Her.Best.Interest Website: www.herbestinterest.com Say Hi: [email protected] *trigger warnings: grief, loss, and brief mention of suicidal thoughts*

Your hosts decided to time travel to series they loved in their younger years. Looking back as adults, they pulled some emotional themes from the literature that they can reflect on from a different place. This episode discusses codependency, confronting fears, trying to control outcomes, and how all of these themes show up in their own lives.  With this topic, Cecylia and Alexandra delve into their own realizations with people pleasing, anxiety in parenthood and tools used to overcome, learning to let go, and how much the people in their lives pull them through. Once the books are pulled from the shelves, your hosts play a series of games to learn about the series the other did not read. They summarize the series they read, discuss the themes present within the novels, and compare the series. As a reminder, the first half relates to the selected topic in their own lives and will remain spoiler free. The second half of the episode is where the hosts bring the books forward to deepen the discussion.  The books present with this conversation are Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Time travel with your hosts as they bring the lessons learned on memory lane to the forefront of this discussion. Featured Episode Topic: Codependency, Confronting Fears, and Trying to Control Outcomes Featured Episode Books: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Follow Us on Instagram: ⁠@_herbestinterest⁠ Visit our Website: ⁠www.herbestinterest.com⁠ Say Hi: ⁠[email protected]⁠ *The podcast referred to in this show as a tool that Cecylia has appreciated through her facing her anxiety and codependency is titled Help Me Be Me by Cloud10 and can be found on Spotify.*

Announcing the FIRST episode created with Her Best Interest at heart! This kickoff episode will center around female friendships, the support system found there, and what a force we are when we let each other in. With this topic, Cecylia and Alexandra delve into growing up in friendships, lessons learned, vulnerable moments, navigating friend heartbreak, and what accountability has looked like in their personal dynamics.As a reminder, the first half relates to the selected topic in their own lives and will remain spoiler free. The second half of the episode is where the hosts bring the book forward to deepen the discussion. The book present with the conversation is A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas and the strong theme of female friendship found within the pages. Discover how one host found Nesta’s journey from cold to kind admirable while another host found it healing and relatable. Featured Episode Topic: Female Friendships Featured Episode Book: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas Follow Us on Instagram: @_herbestinterest Visit our Website: www.herbestinterest.com Say Hi: [email protected]