Reading & Ranting

Karly’s Secret Addiction (Dramione)

It all started with one fanfiction (*cough* Manacled) and ultimately led to a full-blown addiction. Today, Karly & Mia will be discussing (more like obsessing for Karly) Dramione fanfiction, AKA fan-written stories shipping Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as a romantic couple. Karly has completely ignored her growing TBR list and read close to 100 Dramione fanfics, so she has the credentials to give some amazing recommendations for fellow Dramione lovers out there. BTW, Karly & Mia are both Gryffindors and are patiently waiting for some rich, blonde, Slytherin hotties to hit up their line. 
 
Of course, they have a rant prepared and will be diving into their current hyperfixations OTHER than Dramione, including Mia’s Shark Week obsession and Karly’s inability to go a day without eating hummus. This rant is for those with an obsessive personality and/or anyone who has experienced going down an ADHD rabbit hole. Happy reading besties!

Our Favorite Book Tropes

Are you an enemies to lovers girly? Or perhaps grumpy sunshine tickles your fancy? Is found family your comfort trope?
 
In today’s episode, Karly & Mia are offering their recommendations for books that fit various popular tropes. Sometimes recommendations based on trope rather than personal reviews are way more helpful -- so this is basically the TBR (to be read) list they’ve curated from BookTok (Mia is still begging Karly to read half of these). They’ll also be ranting about shitty financial decisions, ranging from daily little “treats” to how their drunk alter egos act like they’re millionaires (refer to their Hamptons girls trip.) Happy reading besties!

Climb The Mountain

“For every Nesta out there - climb the mountain.” Sarah J. Maas wrote this on the dedication page of A Court of Silver Flames, and truer words have never been spoken. Today Karly & Mia are diving into why this book and Nesta’s journey means so much to them. They’ll also be discussing how they relate to Bryce Quinlan’s from Crescent City, including but not limited to eating takeout noodles and watching reality TV to cope. Lastly, Karly & Mia will share a bit about their own struggles with mental health and why they think it’s worth it to climb the mountain.
 
The entirety of this episode contains spoilers for the ACOTAR and Crescent City books, so check out another episode if you haven’t finished them yet! Happy reading besties!
 
Content warning: This episode does contain discussions of grief, depression, anxiety, and other topics relating to mental health and wellness. If this is triggering for you, please feel empowered to skip this episode.

Q&A with Karly & Mia

Surprise bonus episode! We know absolutely no one asked for it, but you can get to know your favorite book podcast co-hosts a little better with today’s bonus episode. Karly & Mia will be asking each other extremely important questions, ranging from their astrology birth charts, a classic FMK (F*ck, Marry, Kill) game, and what Hogwarts House they would be in. We’re open books so submit additional questions to our TikTok @readingandrantingpod or email us @readingandrantingpod@gmail.com if you would like a second bonus Q&A episode. Happy reading besties!

Character Development: Between the Pages of Books & Our Own Lives

We’ve all had that one book character growing up that resonated with us more than anything (refer to Mia wearing the Katniss Everdeen braid to middle school every day for a year). In today’s episode, Karly & Mia will discuss the book characters that shaped them as the women they are today and how they related to their journeys. Special shoutout to Hermione Granger, Elizabeth Bennett, and Jo March for being the bookish, independent, badass babes they are. And we KNOW y’all can relate to Bella Swan entering a sad girl autumn depression spiral when she got dumped. Of course, Karly & Mia have a rant prepared and will be discussing their personal character development, starting from being confused as fuck post-grad, ditching the rat race of your 20s, and just simply doing things for the plot until further notice. Happy reading besties!

Welcome to the Fourth Wing

A dragon without its rider is a tragedy, a rider without their dragon is dead. Welcome to the Fourth Wing. *internally screams* 
 
In today’s episode, Karly & Mia will be discussing this year’s hottest new read, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. If you were a Daenerys Targaryen fangirl, or love the magical school trope, you will be obsessed with this book about a war college for dragon riders. Of course, the plot also revolves around a steamy romance which introduces BookTok’s latest Shadow Daddy (he’s 6'4, I repeat, he’s 6'4) and some pretty badass characters. As the next book, Iron Flame, is set to release in November of this year, the girls will be debating their thoughts and theories for where this series is headed. Of course, Karly & Mia have a rant prepared and will be trauma dumping on each other as per usual (honorable mention: guy best friends hitting on you). Happy reading besties!  

Book Boyfriends Are Better

Who needs a real boyfriend when you have a a fictional boyfriend and a vibrator? This is the question Mia and Karly have been asking for the last year, and now they want to get into it with you. For the record, a 500 page slow burn basically just shows how important foreplay is IRL. They’ll also rant about how casual sex changes after college, why every girl should own a vibrator, and why men will just never live up to their unrealistic expectations (blaming the book boyfriends for this one).

Sarah J. Maas’ Latest Victims

We know you’ve been waiting for this one besties. In today’s episode, Mia and Karly will explain the absolute CHOKEHOLD Sarah J. Maas, author of the A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City series, has on their lives. While reading a five book fantasy smut series in 48 hours may not sound healthy, they’ll discuss why ACOTAR is behind their mental instability and why Fae men are the reason behind their unrealistic dating expectations. Of course, Karly & Mia have a rant prepared, and will be discussing the importance of strong female friendships and why the boyfriend sickness epidemic needs to end. Happy reading besties! 
 
To avoid ACOTAR spoilers, or if you just want to hear Mia and Karly trauma dump, skip ahead to our Rant section at 23:40!

Welcome to Reading & Ranting

Follow along with coworkers Mia and Karly as the duo dives into their reading journeys. First, they’ll begin where it all started, as childhood gifted readers whose hobbies later escalated into an adult reading obsession (with smut books of course). Outside of their reading identities, Karly & Mia will discuss the complicated hell of being in your early 20s and how to rediscover your identity after college. Relationships, identity crises, the post-grad social scene, and more are all addressed here on Reading & Ranting. Happy reading besties!