Kris and Mads

Join us for another episode as we build our epic 2025 TBR lists! From Maddie tackling The Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire (yes, really) to Kristen’s cozy fantasy era with The House on the Cerulean Sea and Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, we’re sharing all the books we can’t wait to dive into. Plus, we dish on viral sensations like Quicksilver and Flawless, classics we’re finally picking up (Six of Crows, anyone?), and our most anticipated new releases from Olivie Blake and Rachel Gillig. Expect tangents about sparkling water, Percy Pig candies, and series dilemmas (Zodiac Academy, we’re looking at you), and help us out by recommending personal development books and adventure reads! Whether you're here for TBR inspo, bookish banter, or a good laugh, this episode has it all. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Welcome to our 2025 TBR-building adventure! 01:57 - Maddie’s loose approach to her 2025 reading list 03:44 - Kristen’s commitment: Reading to her own taste in 2025 07:00 - Allowing our TBRs to be interrupted: Why flexibility matters 10:55 - Kristen’s first priority: The Wolf Den Trilogy by Elodie Harper (thanks,  @thebrothersgwynne  ) 14:23 - Maddie’s first priority: Starting The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 16:14 - Kristen’s Zodiac Academy dilemma: Where to begin with this sprawling series? 18:29 - Maddie’s love for The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey 21:50 - Kristen enters her Regency Romance era with Bridgerton by Julia Quinn 23:49 - Maddie takes on a series she swore she’d never read: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin 26:42 - Kristen’s cozy fantasy picks: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne 28:08 - Maddie’s epic dive into The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington 28:34 - Kristen’s long-overdue read: When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker 29:55 - Maddie’s most anticipated 2025 releases: Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake & The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig 30:23 - Kristen’s continuation of her Olivie Blake journey with One for My Enemy 31:08 - Kristen’s YA excitement: The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare 32:55 - Audience callout: We need your personal development book recs! 34:45 - Kristen’s viral book picks: Quicksilver by Callie Hart & Flawless by Elsie Silver 36:56 - Adventure movie vibes: We need book recs that capture that magic! 38:47 - Did we set reading goals this year? Reflections and plans. 39:25 - Kristen’s physical TBR priorities: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson, Fairytale by Stephen King, Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek, Anathema by Keri Lake, The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo, and Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke 40:27 - Maddie’s physical TBR priorities: Michael J. Sullivan books, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, The Neopolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante, Upgrade and The Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch 41:46 - Outro: Wrapping up our TBR extravaganza! OTHER MENTIONS Books: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport The Lost Queen by Signe Pike (shoutout to M.K. for the rec https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=mkreads26&t=1736434626358 ) Ice Planet Barbarians By Ruby Dixon Zodiac Academy by Suzanne Valenti and Caroline Peckham Lord of the Rings By J.R.R. Tolkien Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling Realm of the Elderlings By Robin Hobb Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros The Shepherd King Duology by Rachel Gillig Januaries, Masters of Death, and Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake Belladonna by Adalyn Grace Twilight by Stephanie Meyers The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Dopamine Nation By Anna Lembke The Untethered Soul By Michael Allen Signer Films: Hustlers Star Trek the Next Generation Star Wars Pirates of the Caribbean film Ever After Podcasts:  @TheDiaryOfACEO   @2ToRamble  (Thx for the equipment list) Snacks:  @WaterlooSparklingWater  in Summer Berry Percy Pig Naughty and Nice Piglets candies from Beth G!

We each brought our top 12 books of the year (one from each month) and threw them into a head-to-head bracket battle to find the ultimate book of 2024. From emotional rollercoasters to epic fantasy, no genre is safe in this showdown. Which book will survive the final cut? Grab your TBR and join us to see which monthly favorites made it to the top! You can join the MF Family on Patreon here! https://www.patreon.com/c/KrisandMadsSisterhood Biz Inquiries an be sent here: [email protected] All our other links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads All books and authors mentioned will be in the timestamps below! Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro – Welcome to the Book Bracket Showdown! 00:32 – How Our Book Bracket Works – Choosing Between Our Favorite Books of Each Month in 2024 03:15 – Kristen’s Matchup: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey 🆚 A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 04:54 – Maddie’s Matchup: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang 🆚 Ruin by John Gwynne 08:28 – Kristen’s Matchup: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett 🆚 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 11:41 – Maddie’s Matchup: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson 🆚 Artificial Wisdom by Thomas Weaver 15:58 – Kristen’s Matchup: The Will of the Many by James Islington 🆚 Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 20:18 – Maddie’s Matchup: The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie 🆚 The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez 24:27 – Kristen’s Showdown: The Sword of Kaigen By M.L. Wang 🆚 Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill 27:47 – Maddie’s Showdown: Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill 🆚 The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb 31:03 – Kristen’s Matchup: Wisteria by Adalyn Grace 🆚 Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang 35:05 – Maddie’s Matchup: Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb 🆚 Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb – Hobb Showdown! 39:17 – Kristen’s Matchup: The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless 🆚 Savage Fae by Caroline Peckham & Suzanne Valenti 44:19 – Maddie’s Matchup: The Land of the Living and the Dead by Shauna Lawless 🆚 Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson 46:32 – Round 2 – Narrowing It Down to Our Top 3! 51:55 – Final Showdown – Only Two Books Left! 52:31 – The WINNER – Our Best Book of 2024 Is…

🚨 WARNING! This one includes SPOILERS 🚨 Who reigns supreme in the world of epic stories? We teamed up with Rich and Austin from 2 to Ramble to defend our top picks – Lord of the Rings, Red Rising, Dune, and The Sword of Kaigen. From legendary characters to mind-blowing worlds, things got heated as we battled over which tale truly deserves the crown. Who won? Hit play to find out – and let us know if we got it right! 👀🔥 Check out  @2ToRamble  and the episode we did with them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A4AtPj97jk&t=89s You can join our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/KrisandMadsSisterhood And Check us out around the web: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads

In this episode, we sit down with New York Times Bestselling author Olivie Blake, the mastermind behind The Atlas Six, Masters of Death, Alone With You in the Ether, and more. We discuss everything from her transition from indie to traditional publishing, her signature writing style, and the complex psychology woven into her characters. She shares her thoughts on the power of storytelling, why she loves writing about messy yet hopeful characters, and gives us an exclusive sneak peek at her upcoming books: Gifted and Talented (April 2025) and Girl Dinner (October 2025). Plus, find out two truths and a lie about Olivie! Find Olivie online: https://www.olivieblake.com/ Join our patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/KrisandMadsSisterhood Follow us on IG https://instagram.com/krisandmads Follow us on TikTok https://tiktok.com/@kris.and.mads Email: [email protected] Everything else here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.mads Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to Olivie Blake: New York Times Bestselling Author 01:05 – Two Truths and a Lie: Fun Facts About Olivie Blake 03:19 – What Makes a Perfect Book? Olivie Blake's 5-Star Reads 06:14 – From Indie Publishing to Traditional Publishing: Olivie Blake’s Journey 09:16 – How Olivie Blake Developed Her Signature Writing Style 13:12 – Creative Story Structures in Olivie Blake’s Books 17:07 – Exploring Power and Nihilism in The Atlas Six with Olivie Blake 21:13 – Art and Illustration in Olivie Blake's Brand 24:29 – Behind the Scenes of Audiobook Production for Januaries 31:28 – Writing as an Art Form: Olivie Blake on Creative Liberation 35:40 – Vulnerability and Mental Health in Alone With You in the Ether 44:34 – Why Success Doesn’t Make Olivie Blake Feel Safe—Choosing to Be Brave 51:04 – What’s Next for Olivie Blake: Gifted and Talented (April 2025) and Girl Dinner (October 2025) #OlivieBlake#TheAtlasSix#MastersOfDeath#AloneWithYouInTheEther#OneForMyEnemy#DarkAcademiaBooks#FantasyAuthor#BestsellingAuthor#BookTube#BookishContent#AuthorInterview#PodcastEpisode#BookClubPodcast#WritingPodcast#BookishChat#AuthorChat#WritingTips#IndieAuthorToTradPub#PsychologicalFiction#FantasyBooks#RomanticFantasy#DarkAcademiaVibes#CreativeWritingTips#StorytellingSecrets#YouTubePodcast#BookTubeCommunity#TrendingBooks#ReadersOfYouTube#2025BookReleases