Plans Are Booked

This week we are joined by author and Heated Rivalry super fan, Jessica Guerrieri. We talk about what hooked us on the show, the beautiful combination of safety, consent, and vulnerability, the tunnel scene, Rose as the most beloved supporting character, freckle pens, and a shared love of Taylor Swift. Then, Jessica chats with us about her upcoming book, Both Can Be True. We discuss the category of "auto-fiction," the importance of hopeful stories, the complicated dynamic between sisters, addiction and recovery, and how women disappear in plain sight. To see the list of all the books we mentioned, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we're discussing an epistolary novel that has taken the world by storm. We chat about the joy of reading letters, the fiery personality of the main character, the wide variety of topics covered - love, loss, grief, regret, romance, gardening, and gossip, the cover art design, and who we think will enjoy this book. In our catch up this week, Steph signs copies of Golden Hour at a bookstore, we have a day of fun seeing the page-to-screen adaptation of Reminders of Him, trying the St. Patrick's Day parfait at Dairy Queen, and starting the new murder mystery TV series 56 Days. In what we're reading this week, Steph finishes an ARC of Rainbow Rowell's Cherry Baby and Molly is 250 pages into Pictures of Him by Clare Leslie Hall. To follow along with all of our book recommendations, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we're solving a mystery with Holly Jackson's debut adult thriller. We discuss the expert pacing of the story, the interesting use of past and present tense, the endearing friendship between Jet and Billy, and our desire for this to become a TV miniseries. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin starts researching 55+ communities, and Molly admits her new obsession with her local "Buy Nothing" group. In what we're reading this week, Kaitlin is devouring the ARC of Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri and Molly finishes The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. To follow along with all of the books we mentioned this week, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

Our "I'm coming to the cottage" candle is lit and we're talking about books 4 - 6 of the Game Changers series. We gush about the cherub of a person that is Harris, Ilya as a dog dad, the wedding scene we hope makes it to screen, the final book as a "love blimp," Kaitlin's desire for Kingfisher merch, and how the Heated Rivalry fandom rivals the Swiftie fandom for most dedicated. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin shares about her trip to Florida, hosting a baby shower, and a new restaurant that wowed her. Molly jumps for joy upon receiving her Girl Scout cookie delivery, gives her review of the Wuthering Heights movie, and we collectively sigh about the incoming snowstorm. In what we're reading this week, Molly is gripped by Holly Jackson's Not Quite Dead Yet and Kaitlin begins The Enemy of Time by Haley-Grace McCormick. To check out our full list of book recommendations, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

We've got all the feels like week after reading Emily Henry's homage to annual traditions. We talk about her gift for conjuring nostalgia, the way she creates intimacy without relying on the physical, the beauty with which she captures the evolution of friendship, and the setting details she chose for the state of Maine. In our catch up this week, we break down the Tell Me Lies series finale, share our winter Olympics highlights, and revisit our friendship origin story (from the night of the 2006 opening ceremony!). In what we're reading this week, Steph explains the popular Dungeon Crawler Carl, Molly gushes about the banter in a Christina Lauren romance, and we tease a book we'll cover in a future episode, The Encore by Juliet Izon. To follow along with all of our book recommendations, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we're talking about a deeply emotional book. Lily King is a Massachusetts native, now living in Portland, Maine, who has written a book about a love triangle that evolves over several decades. We praise the brevity of her writing, the way she trusts the reader to fill in the gaps, how expertly she handles two big time jumps, and the way she accurately captures life in your early twenties, stirring up all the feelings from that chapter of adulthood. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin heads to a sledding party, Molly recaps heavenly treats at a new bakery, and we collectively lament about Mother Nature's winter wrath. In what we're reading this week, Molly finished The Long Game and started Emily Henry's Happy Place, and Kaitlin picked up Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall ahead of its screen adaptation this spring. To check out all of this week's book picks, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

It's a giggle fest this week as we explore one of our favorite topics: books we'd love to see become TV shows or movies. Each of us share our top picks for stories we'd love to see make it to the screen. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin reviews two restaurants in Cambridge, Molly recaps her trip to North Carolina, and Steph asks a Heated Rivalry question that leads to a lively debate. In what we're reading this week, Molly is on book five of the Game Changers series, Kaitlin starts a story about a marriage that fractures, and Steph is reeled in by Good Dirt. To follow along with all of our book recommendations, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

We have a special treat for you this week. Stephanie interviews Vanessa Lillie, author of Blood Sisters, The Bone Thief, Little Voices, and For the Best. She is also the coauthor of the Young Rich Widows series. Lillie shares the stories she treasured as a child - fairy tales, Greek mythology, The Boxcar Children, and anything by R.L. Stine, her love of historical fiction, and how moving to Rhode Island helped her unlock a deep sense of place in her writing. She shares her belief that telling indigenous stories and environmental stories can help readers find similarities in their own communities, why she decided to have a main character obsessed with the pursuit of justice, and how part of the repair work that needs to be done in present day includes the decolonization of belongings. She also explains the process for finalizing cover art, including her feedback vs. the vision of the publisher. In closing, Lillie shares her recommendations for books by other indigenous authors. To see that complete list, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we're talking about a powerful and moving book by Woody Brown, an author who is non-verbal. This is the story of the clients, parents, and caregivers at a facility for adults with disabilities. Brown does an incredible job of sharing the inner monologues of individuals who cannot communicate with speech, and educating the reader on the common misconceptions surrounding this particular challenge. We think this book should be required reading and we hope you'll add it to your reading list. In our catch up, Steph shares about dog sitting in the snow storm and the new skating show on Netflix, Kaitlin celebrates the Patriots winning the AFC Championship, and Molly details her quest to buy Heated Rivalry merch at a local indie bookstore. In what we're reading this week, Molly is deep into the newest Ashley Poston, Steph follows a group of hot shots in Protect, and Kaitlin picks up a new-to-her Karin Slaughter mystery. To follow along with all of our book recommendations, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

Heated Rivalry fans, this week's episode is for you! We are breaking down our thoughts on the first three books in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series. We talk about her hockey universe, the complexity of her characters, the spice level, and our sincere belief that the Heated Rivalry page-to-screen adaptation may be the best in history. In our catch-up this week, Kaitlin gets the DNA test results for her rescue pup, Steph continues writing for her latest book project, and Molly gives a few TV & movie recommendations. In what we're reading this week, Steph is back with Shane and Ilya in The Long Game, Kaitlin is reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and Molly is beginning Heart the Lover by Lily King. To follow along with all of our book picks, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com.