Can I Bring My Book

TBR Time Travel + Our Most Unhinged Trope Talk Yet

TBR Time Travel + Our Most Unhinged Trope Talk Yet
Time to dust off the digital shelves—Amanda and Kat are throwing it back to the very first books they ever added to their Goodreads TBRs (we're talking 2011-level chaos). From books they still haven’t read to ones they completely forgot about (and maybe even hate-read), this episode is packed with judgment, nostalgia, and a surprising amount of purging.
Plus, we round things out with Trope Talk, featuring two very spicy favorites:
Amnesia Romance 🧠💔
Reverse Harem 👑👑👑👑
Books mentioned include:
Nothing by Janne Teller
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Night by Elie Wiesel
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
While You Were Sleeping (yes, the Sandra Bullock movie counts)
The Perfect Fit by Sadie Kincaid
Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight
 
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Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook

POV Wars: First Person vs. Third Person

Is it more fun to live the story or to watch it unfold? In this episode, we’re diving into the big narrative debate—first person vs. third person point of view. From omniscient storytelling to limited perspectives, we unpack the pros and cons of each and share which styles we gravitate toward (spoiler: it depends on the vibe).
We also chat about one of our favorite storytelling devices—the unreliable narrator—and list the books that pulled it off flawlessly. Whether you’re team “I want all the inner monologue” or “just tell me what’s happening,” there’s something in this episode for you.
 
Books we mention include:
Verity by Colleen Hoover
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Girl on the Train, The Yellow Wallpaper, The Wife Between Us, and more.
 
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Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook

Cult Vibes, Curses, and New Bookish Obsessions

Title: Cult Vibes, Curses, and New Bookish Obsessions
Episode Description:This week on Can I Bring My Book, Amanda and Kat are back with fresh book reviews of their Bestie Book Swap read this month! Kat shares her thoughts on The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John — a thriller that brings all the culty, secluded island drama. Meanwhile, Amanda dives into Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber and officially joins the Jacks fan club.
Along the way, they chat about what they expect from thrillers, the charm of slightly messy main characters, and a few of their favorite tropes. Plus, could a buddy read of The Lion’s Den be on the horizon? Tune in for all the bookish chaos and some seriously relatable TBR talk.
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John
The Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
 
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Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook

Dramatic Goodreads Readings & Five-Star Shade

Episode Title: Dramatic Goodreads Readings & Five-Star Shade
 
Book reviews, dramatic readings, and a little friendly shade—what more could you ask for?
In this episode of Can I Bring My Book, Kat confronts Amanda about her ahem generous Goodreads ratings and challenges her to revisit old book reviews. Cue the dramatic readings, cringey commentary, and some surprising reflections.
We talk about:
The books we used to love (or not)
The evolution of our reading tastes
Amanda’s villain origin story as a 5-star reviewer
Tropes of the week: Time Travel Romance and Forbidden Love
📚 Books we mention:
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
Tongue by Kyung-Ran Jo
The Witch Elm by Tana French
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Let us know what your oldest or most dramatic Goodreads review is—tag us and spill the bookish tea.
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Should We Challenge Ourselves as Readers? A Debate on “Shoulds,” Genres, and Bookish Growth

Episode Title: Should We Challenge Ourselves as Readers? A Debate on “Shoulds,” Genres, and Bookish Growth
Can I Bring My Book — the podcast where we, Kat and Amanda, tangentially discuss books... and so much more.
This week, Amanda and Kat dive into the tension between comfort reading and personal growth, all sparked by a spicy internet comment about what books readers should be reading. Is it enough to read only what you want to read? Or does challenging yourself to step outside your favorite genre actually lead to a more fulfilling reading life?
The duo talks about Fable’s April reading challenge, representation in authorship, and why stepping outside your go-to shelf might be the best thing for your book-loving soul. They also touch on how the Can I Bring My Book club selections and monthly Bestie Book Swaps have pushed their own boundaries — sometimes with joy, sometimes with grumbles.
And don’t miss this week’s Trope Talk featuring:
Beauty and the Beast style romances (complete with demons and purple hair)
Billionaire boyfriends with suspicious shirt budgets
Books & mentions from this episode:
Maus by Art Spiegelman: https://amzn.to/3vWgeZT
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming: https://amzn.to/3PYaMxM
Twisted Love by Ana Huang: https://amzn.to/4aMLI88
Fable app: https://fable.co/
 
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Let’s Build the Ultimate Book Boyfriend

Episode Title: Let’s Build the Ultimate Book Boyfriend
 
In this week’s episode, Amanda and Kat take a break from their towering TBRs to do something far more important—design their perfect fictional boyfriends. From battlefields to bakeries, black tees to farmhouses full of goats, the duo takes online quizzes (some more accurate than others, or maybe none that are accurate at all) and debate everything from pickup lines to dream proposal settings.
 
Along the way, they add even more books to their TBRs (shocker), reveal their all-time favorite book boyfriends (hi, Zayden and Khan), and squeeze in a round of Trope Talk featuring “everything is connected” endings and a shared love of happy endings that wrap up with a big emotional bow.
 
Is this a serious literary discussion? Not even a little. Is it a good time? Absolutely.
 
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Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook

Spring Cleaning Your Reading

Spring Cleaning Your Reading
This week, Amanda kicks things off by sending Kat on a mission to grab five books from her physical TBR cart… and chaos ensues. Together, they reflect on reading goals, shift some priorities, and play a bookish version of “keep, read, donate” (don’t worry, no books were harmed in the making of this episode).
 
Also in this episode: 📚 How Goodreads guilt-trips Amanda 📚 Kat’s fear of spring cleaning and giving up her precious reads 📚 Books we’ve had since 2019 and still might read someday 📚 A quick-and-chaotic Trope Talk featuring “touch her and die” and a debate over whether Dark Academia is a trope or a subgenre
 
Whether you’re ahead, behind, or forgetting your reading goal altogether, this episode is your sign to tidy up your TBR—mentally and physically.
 
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Bestie Book Swap & Precious Little Robots

Bestie Book Swap & Precious Little Robots
In this week’s episode, Amanda and Kat are back with another Bestie Book Swap! We each read a book picked by the other—and, as usual, we’ve got thoughts.
 
Kat reviews The Year of Less by Cait Flanders, a memoir (sort of) about minimalism, consumption, and self-discovery. Spoiler alert: someone’s feeling a little misled by the marketing.
 
Amanda shares her love for A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers and her introduction to the cozy, hopeful world of solarpunk. We talk mental health, comfort reads, and why this book truly feels like a hug in literary form.
Plus:
Why "precious" is the perfect word for this book (and Amanda never uses that word)
The robot character that stole our hearts
A mini deep-dive into the Enemies to Lovers and Mentor tropes
Mentions of Yoda, Dumbledore, and yes, even Draco/Harry fanfiction
It’s a fun one full of bookish rambling, gentle chaos, and cozy vibes. Come hang out with us!
 
📣 Want to join our book club? Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. You can singup here
 
Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook

How to Break Out of a Reading Slump

How to Break Out of a Reading Slump
Reading slumps—every book lover’s worst nightmare. Whether it’s burnout, life getting in the way, or a book so good that nothing else compares, we’ve all been there. In this episode, Kat and Amanda break down what causes reading slumps and share practical tips to help you rediscover your reading groove.
We discuss: 📚 The different types of reading slumps and what causes them 📚 How long Kat’s last reading slump lasted (spoiler: it was years) 📚 Whether reading challenges help or hurt motivation 📚 Easy, fun ways to get back into the habit (including quick reads, buddy reading, and switching genres) 📚 How audiobooks can be the ultimate slump-buster 📚 Plus, our latest trope talk—morally gray heroes and grumpy/sunshine dynamics
 
If you’re struggling with your TBR pile or need a little bookish motivation, this episode is for you!
 
Let us know: What’s the longest reading slump you’ve ever had? And what’s your go-to way to break out of one?
 
📣 Want to join our book club? Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. You can sing up here
 
Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook

Bookish Hot Takes & Controversial Opinions

Bookish Hot Takes & Controversial Opinions
 
Get ready, book besties—we’re stirring the pot in this episode! Kat and Amanda dive into bookish hot takes, from whether reading a bad book is worse than watching a bad movie to the eternal debate of paperback vs. hardcover. We’re also chatting about series vs. standalones, dog-earing pages (monstrous or practical?), and whether smut is really just… well, you’ll have to listen to find out.
 
Plus, we’re introducing Trope Talk! This week, we discuss meet-cutes and found family—two of our favorites!
Tell us your bookish hot take in the comments or tag us on social!
 
Books mentioned in the episode:
The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection (Kindle Unlimited): https://amzn.to/3XKvqy3
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: https://amzn.to/3DrSrit
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune: https://amzn.to/3Fk7lrH
 
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Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook
 
Disclaimer: Some of the links included may provide us with a small kickback. There’s no cost to you, and if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll earn enough in ten years to buy a book of our own.