Always Booked

FULL SPOILERS for A Court of Splintered Harmony and the entire Sarah J Maas universe. We read A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas. Like, the rest of the world we have been waiting for this and we are SO excited to talk about. This is our full, honest, unfiltered ACOSH review. SPOILERS AHEAD!If you've finished the book and need to talk about it this is the episode for you. Have you finished A Court of Splintered Harmony? Tell us in the comments whether you agree with our take.Subscribe for weekly fantasy, romantasy and literary fiction deep dives, book reviews, and reading vlogs. New episodes every week.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

Reading is cool now? How books took over pop culture.

We're talking about the rise of book culture and how reading went from nerd hobby to everywhere. From BookTok bestsellers to major brand collabs, bookish merch drops, and adaptations everywhere books are suddenly everywhere you look.

Do you think books have officially taken over pop culture? Tell us in the comments!

Subscribe for weekly fantasy, romantasy and literary fiction deep dives, book reviews, and reading vlogs.

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This is our spoiler-free review of Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It By Brooke Averick!

No spoilers, just our honest take on the writing, pacing, characters, romance, and whether the hype is earned.

We break down what worked, what really didn't, and why this one became proof for us that not every influencer-turned-author debut works.

Have you read it? Drop your take below...are we wrong?

6 Books for maximum emotional damage

These reads destroyed us. These are the recs that will have you sobbing, yelling, frustrated and just FEELING. If you're looking for a book for emotional damage this is the perfect list for you.

Books Mentioned:

- Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

- Alone With You In The Ether by Olivie Blake

- Strangers by Belle Burden - Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas- Normal People by Sally Rooney

CONNECT WITH US:

📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd

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Is Temptest by Victoria Aveyard worth the hype? This is our spoiler-free review!

We read the highly anticipated pirate fantasy, Tempest. We HAVE t o share spoiler-free thoughts and review.

Have you read Temptest? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! comments!

ONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

The best dark academia books to read this fall. These are our top fall book recommendations for fantasy, romantasy & literary fiction.

We're breaking down the best dark academia books for your fall TBR, from modern classics to fantasy and literary picks with dark academia vibes.

Books Discussed:

- The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

- The Secret History by Donna Tartt

- If We Were Villains by Milo by M. L. Rio

- A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

- Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

- Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

We've loved every book Rachel Gillig publishes. The Knight and the Moth was no exception. But did The Knave and the Moon live up to the hype?

In this ep:

- Our book rating

- Favorite moments and characters (Bartholomew)

- Rachel Gillig's writing style - Why this book has taken over BookTok

🚨 SPOILER WARNING: FULL SPOILERS for The Knave and the Moon ahead!

We pulled our fav ACOTAR theories from across the entire Sarah J. Maas universe. These are actually good ones that hold up when you go back and reread. The foreshadowing, character details, and crossover connections you probably missed that matter for ACOTAR 6.

Consider this your theory prep before ACOTAR 6.

IN THIS VIDEO:

- the ACOTAR theories we actually believe for ACOTAR 6

- the details SJM has been planting across ACOTAR, Throne of Glass & Crescent City

- which theories change how you'll reread the seriesWhich theory convinced you?

Drop your theories in the comments!

ACOTAR 6 is coming and you don't have time to read all of ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City...don't worry! We've got you covered!

ACOTAR 6 prep starts here. We're breaking down EVERYTHING you need to know before A Court of Splintered Harmony from across the entire Sarah J. Maas universe. We're talking every character, every detail, every forgotten plot thread, and crossover connection from ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City.

If you don't have time to reread before ACOTAR 6, this is for you!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- The complete ACOTAR recap (Books 1-5)

- Sarah J. Maas multiverse connections — TOG & Crescent City details that matter for ACOTAR 6

- Theories & clues Sarah J. Maas has been planting for ACOTAR 6

- What to remember before you pick up ACOTAR 6

SPOILER WARNING: Full spoilers for ACOTAR 1-5, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City.

New to Always Booked? We're Olivia, Emily & Dani, three best friends who made our favorite books our entire personalities. We do deep dives, rereads, and bookish discussions every week.

We Found Your Next Feminist Witch Book: A Time of Witches.We sat down with the author Madeline Martin to talk about her brand new novel A Time of Witches, a dual-timeline story following an educated widow accused of witchcraft in 1645 Suffolk and a present-day woman in Savannah uncovering her legacy. In this interview we chat about:- Why Madeline wanted to write a witch trial story centered on women's experiences- Writing women who refuse to be silenced- The research behind 17th century witch trials vs. modern parallels- Her writing process and what she hopes readers take from the bookIf you love feminist historical fiction or witchy reads this one's for you.A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin is out now!Connect with Madeline Martin:https://www.instagram.com/madelinemmartin/

AI has infiltrated everything and the book space is no exception, but should you care? In this episode, we're digging into what AI really means for readers. We're talking AI written books, AI's impact on publishing, and the current literary crisis. This isn't a doom episode but it is an important conversation we think all readers should behaving. In this episode:- What AI written books actually look like right now- AI and its impact on your brain- Using books to train AI - Destroying books - Our take on AI in the book space 📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

A Court of Silver Flames recap is here! This is everything you need to remember before ACOTAR 6 from ACOSF.

Nesta's story, the Blood Rite, the Valkyries, Koschei, and every plot thread that matters heading into A Court of Splintered Harmony.

If it's been a while since you finished ACOSF (or you just want a spoiler-heavy refresher before the new book), this is the full recap.

We're covering:

- Nesta's arc

- Things to keep in mind for ACOTAR 6

- The Valkyries, Emerie, and Gwyn: the alliances that will matter

- Cassian, the mating bond, and where things actually left off

- Koschei the Desthless

- Every loose thread and theory pointing toward A Court of Splintered Harmony

⚠️ FULL SPOILERS for A Court of Silver Flames and the full Sarah J Maas universe.

💬 What's the ONE thing you most need a reminder on before ACOTAR 6? Drop it below.

🚨 EMERGENCY POD: A Court of Splintered Harmony & A Court of Forgotten Melody — ACOTAR 6 & 7 Titles + Covers Are Here 🚨

SJM dropped the titles, covers, AND blurbs for ACOTAR 6 (A Court of Splintered Harmony) and ACOTAR 7 (A Court of Forgotten Melody) and we could NOT wait to talk about it.

Consider this your deep dive theory guide for both books.We're breaking down every detail: the covers, the titles, the blurbs, and what it all means for where this series is headed. I

f you're a Court of Thorns and Roses fan, this is the reaction video you need.

We're going through:

- The official titles for ACOTAR 6 & 7: A Court of Splintered Harmony and A Court of Forgotten Melody

- First impressions of the covers: symbolism, color choices, and what they might tease- Full blurb breakdown, line by line

- Our theories on what these books mean for the series going forward-

Our completely raw reactions

⚠️ This video has full spoilers for the entire Sarah J Maas universe: ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City.

💬 Drop your first reactions to the covers/titles in the comments!

New to romantasy and don't know where to start? We've got you.

We’re talking our go-to fantasy romance recommendations for anyone looking to dive into the genre. These are great stories to start with that aren’t too intense but have plenty to love! Whether you're romance-curious or fantasy-curious this is the start pack for you!

Books mentioned in this episode:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
• Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
• The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
• Serpents and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
• A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen
• Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly deep dives, Book recs, and bookish community.

💬 Drop your favorite romantasy pick in the comments, we want to add to our TBR <3

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📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd

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Everyone calls A Court of Frost and Starlight the boring book. The filler. The holiday special story. We are here to FIGHT about that. ACOFAS is where SJM plants the seeds for everything the rest of the series has to deliver, and we think everyone sleeping on ACOFAS is missing the point.In this reread, we're defending the "boring" book with receipts: the details dressed up as filler that are actually setup, the character moments everyone wrote off as cozy, and our theories for what ACOTAR 6 has been building toward. This is your sign to stop skipping it! Spoilers for A Court of Frost and Starlight (and the ACOTAR series, obviously).💬 Come fight with us:Think ACOFAS is actually skippable? Drop your biggest ACOTAR 6 theory below! CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

We're doing our mid-year reading check in! We're breaking down our top pick for every month so far, our top 3 reads of 2026, and the books we genuinely think you should skip.

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📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd

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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is finally here and we read the book first. In this episode, we're breaking down Homer's epic, rate the film, and give our honest verdict on whether Nolan did the source material justice.We cover everything: our take on the original text, what the film gets right (and wrong), and how it holds up as a book-to-movie adaptation. Spoilers for both.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

The word "smut" didn't start as an insult to women's sexuality. It was made into one and we don't it was an accident. In this episode, we dig into the real history of the word "smut." Where it came from, how it got weaponized, and why culture specifically uses it to dismiss and belittle what women read. From book culture to broader society, we get into why this label exists and who it's really designed to silence.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

The Remarkably Bright Creatures Netflix movie is here and we have THOUGHTS. We read this book and fell in love with Marcellus, Tova, and every emotional gut punch Shelby Van Pelt packed in. So did Netflix do it justice? Spoiler: the book was better. Here's exactly why.In this episode we break down everything Netflix changed, what the adaptation got right, what it got wrong, and whether Marcellus got the screen time he deserved.⚠️ FULL SPOILERS for both the book and the movie.CONNECT WITH US:📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd 🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net

Whether you've fallen out of your reading, never quite found your book, or just need someone to hand you the right one, this is that episode. We curated picks across genres, moods, and reading vibes to give you books to get you (back) into reading.

Don't know where to start? We've got you.

📚 In this episode:

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Blood Over Bright by Haven ML Wang

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lost It by Brooke Averick

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

Educated by Tara Westover

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

CONNECT WITH US:

📲 Follow us on Instagram → / always.bookd

🌐 Visit our website → https://www.alwaysbooked.net