Shows / Paperback Ponderings
Paperback Ponderings
Paperback Ponderings is your source for all things fantasy book related. Follow along with us while we discuss theories and breakdowns for current reads, trending books, and old favourites. We’ll be releasing weekly episodes talking about new upcoming releases, familiar tropes, and our most loved, hated and everything in between reads.
Episodes
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in April
This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about all the books they read and loved in April. Tune in for a short synopsis and their spoiler-free thoughts on each…
Paperback PonderingsPlot Recap: A Fate Inked in Blood
This week, Kyla is giving you a full plot recap of A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen to prep you for the release of the sequel, A Curse Carved in…
Paperback PonderingsInterview w/ Shalini Abeysekara (This Monster of Mine)
This week, Sarah and Kyla are welcoming the lovely Shalini Abeysekara to the podcast to celebrate the release of her debut romantasy novel, This Monster of…
Paperback PonderingsMarch Book Club: A Fire in the Sky
This week, Sarah and Kyla are diving into March's book club pick, A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan. Tune in to hear about this Khal Drogo and Daenerys-esque…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in March
This week, Sarah and Kyla are filling you in on all the fantasy books they read and loved in March. Tune in to learn about the book that will break your heart…
Paperback PonderingsNew-to-Fantasy Recommendations
This episode is for all the fantasy newbies out there! If you've been hearing about Fourth Wing everywhere, or maybe you've dipped your toes in with ACOTAR…
Paperback PonderingsFantasy Release Radar: Spring 2025
Spring is finally here, and so is our list of all the major fantasy and romantasy books coming out in April, May, and June of this year! Tune in for a…
Paperback PonderingsFebruary Book Club: Blood & Steel
This week, Sarah and Kyla are discussing Blood & Steel by Helen Scheuerer, the first book in the Legends of Thezmarr series. Tune in for a full discussion on…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in February
This week, Sarah and Kyla are chatting about the books they read and loved in February! Tune in for a spoiler-free chat about magical academies, reverse harem…
Paperback PonderingsSword Catcher Recap
Tune in for a recap of all the major plot points and characters in Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare before the release of the sequel, The Ragpicker King, on…
Paperback PonderingsOnyx Storm: Initial Reactions
This week, Sarah and Kyla are sharing their initial reactions and thoughts about arguably the most anticipated release of the year, Onyx Storm! Tune in for a…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved Recently
This week, Sarah and Kyla chat about some of the best books they've been reading recently, and what's been getting them through the post-Onyx Storm book…
Paperback PonderingsThe Kindred's Curse Saga: Breakdown & Theories
This week, Sarah and Kyla are diving into The Kindred's Curse Saga by Penn Cole, our #1 favourite series of 2024! Tune in for a discussion of all 3 published…
Paperback PonderingsBang, Marry, Kill: Empyrean Series
Happy Onyx Storm release week! To celebrate, Sarah and Kyla are playing a fun little game of bang, marry, kill with ONLY characters from the Empyrean series by…
Paperback PonderingsGoodreads Choice Awards: YA Fantasy
Join us for Part 2 of our Goodreads Choice Awards mini-series where Sarah and Kyla will go over the top 5 winners in the YA Fantasy category for 2024! This…
Paperback PonderingsGoodreads Choice Awards: Romantasy
Join us for Part 1 of our Goodreads Choice Awards mini-series where Sarah and Kyla will go over the top 5 winners in the Romantasy category for 2024! This…
Paperback PonderingsIron Flame Recap
Tune in for a full plot recap of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, including all major plot and character developments that you'll need to remember going into Onyx…
Paperback PonderingsFourth Wing Recap
This week, we've got your back with a full plot recap of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, so you can prepare for the release of Onyx Storm without taking the…
Paperback PonderingsInterview w/ Melissa Blair (The Halfling Saga)
This week, Sarah and Kyla are welcoming the incredible Melissa Blair to the podcast for an exclusive interview to celebrate the release of the fourth and final…
Paperback PonderingsFantasy Release Radar: Winter 2025
2025 is here and there are SO many great books coming out this year! This week, Sarah and Kyla are going over all of the most buzz-worthy and highly…
Paperback PonderingsTop 3s of 2024: Adult, YA, and Series
The episode of the year is here! This week, Sarah and Kyla are sharing their top 3 reads of 2024 in the adult fantasy, YA fantasy, and fantasy series…
Paperback Ponderings2024 Book Awards
The end of the year is here and we've tallied up our favourites! Join us this week for an awards-style episode where where we present nominees and winners for…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in November
Join Sarah and Kyla this week for a spoiler-free chat about all the books they read, loved, and didn't love in November! Books discussed: - Quicksilver by…
Paperback PonderingsThe Songbird and the Heart of Stone: Yes or No?
This week, tune in for a full discussion of the recently released and highly hyped third instalment in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Songbird and the Heart…
Paperback PonderingsSpark of the Everflame: Worth the Hype?
In this week’s episode, Sarah and Kyla dive into the Kindreds Curse Saga by Penn Cole—a spellbinding tale of magic, rebellion, and destiny. With a completely…
Paperback PonderingsOctober Book Club: Starling House
This week, Sarah and Kyla dive into Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, October's book club pick. Tune in for a discussion about the way beautiful prose can…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in October
This week, Sarah and Kyla chat about all the books they read in October (featuring multiple new 5-star reads!). Tune in to hear about the fantasy series that…
Paperback PonderingsBlack Cats and Cauldrons: Witchy Book Recs
To celebrate Halloween this week, Sarah and Kyla are back with a list of witchy book recommendations across the cozy fantasy, rom-com, high fantasy, and dark…
Paperback PonderingsGothic Fantasy Recommendations
Spooky season is reaching its peak, so Sarah and Kyla are back with a list of gothic fantasy book recommendations for all you fantasy lovers who are looking to…
Paperback PonderingsTrying Monster Smut: Ice Planet Barbarians (With Special Guest @justjess77)
This week, Sarah and Kyla take their first foray into the monster smut genre with the booktok hit Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. Joined by their…
Paperback PonderingsSeptember Book Club: Curious Tides (With Special Guest @danielle.reads)
For September's book club, we're chatting about a new favourite read—Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle—along with our special guest Danielle from…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in September
This week, Sarah and Kyla share their September reading wrap, with a spoiler-free discussion of all the books they read in September. Tune in to hear about the…
Paperback PonderingsAcademy Book Recs for Autumn
We all know that autumn is the time of year for cozying up with a cup of tea and reading about gothic academies in old castles with students learning magic and…
Paperback PonderingsThe Future of the JLA-Verse (With Special Guest @one.more.chapter.tk)
Part two of our chat with Taylor from @one.more.chapter.tk on Instagram delves into more expansive theories about the Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire universe as…
Paperback PonderingsAugust Book Club: Born of Blood and Ash (With Special Guest @one.more.chapter.tk)
For August's book club, we're getting into the highly anticipated finale to the Flesh and Fire series, Born of Blood and Ash, along with our special guest…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in August
This week, Sarah and Kyla share their August reading wrap, with a spoiler-free discussion of all the books they read in August, including the Flesh and Fire…
Paperback PonderingsFantasy Release Radar: Fall 2024 (Part 2)
Part two of our fantasy release radar covers all the major fantasy releases coming out this fall from October to December. Tune in for a spoiler-free…
Paperback PonderingsFantasy Release Radar: Fall 2024 (Part 1)
Part one of our fall release radar goes over all the major fantasy book releases scheduled for this upcoming fall season between September 1st and October 1st…
Paperback PonderingsFlesh and Fire 3 Recap: A Fire in the Flesh
The third and final part of our Flesh and Fire recap series follows book three, A Fire in the Flesh, by Jennifer L Armentrout. Tune in for a full rundown of…
Paperback PonderingsFlesh and Fire 2 Recap: A Light in the Flame
Part two of our Flesh and Fire recap series follows A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L Armentrout. Tune in for a full refresher on all plot developments…
Paperback PonderingsFlesh and Fire 1 Recap: A Shadow in the Ember
Don't have time to reread the whole Flesh and Fire series before the release of the final instalment, Born of Blood and Ash? Look no further! This episode is…
Paperback PonderingsJuly Book Club: Reckless
For July's book club pick, we read Reckless by Lauren Roberts—the highly anticipated sequel to Powerless. This episode contains spoilers for both books, so if…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in July
Looking for your next book? Look no further! In this episode, Sarah and Kyla will tell you all about the books they loved (or didn't love) in July, and what…
Paperback PonderingsThe Foxglove King & The Hemlock Queen
The Foxglove King was one of both Sarah and Kyla's favourite books of 2024 (so far), so get ready for an episode getting into all the details of why this book…
Paperback PonderingsThe Stolen Heir Duology and the Future of Elfhame
Join Paperback Ponderings hosts Sarah and Kyla as they unpack the events of the Stolen Heir Duology, the long anticipated spin-off series of the famed Cruel…
Paperback PonderingsJune Book Club: Heartless Hunter
June's book club is all about Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli—a book that has been gaining quite a bit of buzz since its release earlier this year. Both…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in June
Get ready to grow your TBR after this spoiler-free discussion of all the books Sarah and Kyla read and loved in June! Books discussed: - The Dallergut Dream…
Paperback Ponderings2024 Mid-Year Favourites
In this episode, hosts Sarah and Kyla dive into their favorite fantasy reads of 2024 so far! From epic adventures to enchanting fairy tales, join us as we…
Paperback PonderingsFantasy Release Radar: Summer 2024
Prepare your TBR and tune in for a list of the most buzz-worthy new fantasy releases coming out this summer! Sarah and Kyla go over each new release in order…
Paperback PonderingsMay Book Club: Sorcery of Thorns (With Special Guest @litwithlesia)
For the first time ever, Sarah and Kyla are thrilled to welcome a special guest to the podcast! You can find Lesia on bookstagram at @litwithlesia where she…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in May
Find your next book to read with this spoiler-free chat about all the books Sarah and Kyla read and loved in May! Books discussed: - Things We Left Behind by…
Paperback PonderingsBride: Knot Your Typical Ali Hazelwood Romance
Join Sarah and Kyla this week for an entertaining discussion on Ali Hazelwood's latest romance and first foray into the paranormal genre, Bride. The first part…
Paperback PonderingsGuessing Books Based On Their First Lines
Join Sarah and Kyla for a more-challenging-than-expected game where one reads out the first line of a book they've both read and the other has to guess which…
Paperback PonderingsApril Book Club: A Tempest of Tea
Aprils book club propels Sarah, Kyla, and you all into the works of Hafsah Faizal, New York Times Bestselling Author of "We Hunt the Flame," with her newest…
Paperback PonderingsBooks We Loved in April
Join Sarah and Kyla for a completely spoiler-free chat about all the books they read in April. Books discussed: - Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by…
Paperback PonderingsIf You Like This, Read That
This week, Sarah and Kyla are back with a list of recommendations based on popular, trending books. They'll each give a few names you may be familiar with, and…
Paperback PonderingsAre You Familiar With Leigh Bardugo?
This week, Sarah and Kyla are diving into the highly anticipated standalone historical fantasy from Leigh Bardugo—The Familiar. Starting with a spoiler-free…
Paperback PonderingsGuide to the Shadowhunter Universe
If you've been wanting to see what all the Shadowhunter hype is about but feel overwhelmed by the seemingly thousands of books in this world, this is the…
Paperback PonderingsBook To Screen Adaptation Awards
Join Sarah and Kyla for an award ceremony-style episode where they judge the film adaptations of all your favourite books in categories like Best Female/Male…
Paperback PonderingsMarch Book Club & Books We Loved This Month
Sarah and Kyla are back with another spoiler-free chat about all the books they read in March, followed by a book club discussion of Tress of the Emerald Sea…