welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv & kim! this week, we get into another chatty episode where we discuss our summer plans, along with our thoughts on the books featured on Goodreads Books to Suit Your Summer Reading Mood reading list. the earth is on fire, but our takes on some of the most hyped books of 2023 might be even hotter...
kim discusses seeing familiar faces in seville, and a burger festival gone wrong. liv gets caught up on crocheting and the newest season of selling sunset. we get nostalgic about the old days before your icloud storage was always full with random screen shots.
most notable books mentioned in this episode:
The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
Old Enough by Hailey Jacobson
Summer Reading by Jen McInley
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfengh
Lustre by Raven Lelani
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
The Guest by Emma Cline
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Spare by Prince Harry
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
YN by Esther Yi
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo
other media mentioned:
selling sunset - on netflix
talk lit get hit podcast
i read prince harrys book so you dont have to - uncarley on youtube
Delaney Rowe on TikTok (kim compares her tiktoks to emily henry characters)
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv & kim! on this episode, we welcome another special guest, @halliewritessometimes! hallie has been a long time bookstagram/internet friend, and it was great to finally chat with her about this week's book, three women by lisa taddeo.
other things we chatted about include hallie going to the Taylor swift concert!! kim attends her first feria de Abril in Seville and sneaks into a private caseta after some drinks at 3am. liv goes to support taylor during his ultramarathon! we get into the book at 23:00, and spoilers for the book are at 38:00.
article about three women: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/06/lisa-taddeo-interview-three-women
books mentioned:
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Aloha Vietnam by Elizabeth Nguyen
Intimations by Zadie smith
other books by lisa taddeo:
Animal
Ghost
as always, email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate links in which we may make a small commission from your purchase if used. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv & kim! happy pride month! this week, we discuss some of our favorite queer reads, as well as some we'd like to read this month.
we chat about liv getting sick, burnout, liv moving to their new house, reading slumps, kim's new apartment in seville, and more! we get into our book recommendations at around 27:00.
kim has an affiliate code for uniplaces! use the code UAP64JXJI for a percentage off your booking fee with uniplaces.com!
books mentioned:
We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Dooer
Blood Atonement by S.M. Freedman
McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh
queer books mentioned:
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt
Johnny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Bath Haus by PJ Vernon
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
other media mentioned:
@mattxiv on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/
Queer Eye on Netflix
as always, email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate links in which we may make a small commission from your purchase if used. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv & kim! this week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Elizabeth Nguyen about her new book, Aloha Vietnam. elizabeth nguyen was born and raised in honolulu, hawaii, where her parents arrived after leaving Vietnam after the war in 1975. nguyen works as a psychiatrist who uses a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, which explores the intersection of spirituality and mental health, and the healing power of water and the natural world. we chat about the inspiration behind her writing her fictional novel, mental health among different decades and cultures, and the power of healing through nature.
"There is so much trauma and healing in the human ancestral lineages, and water, art, and storytelling help us in becoming whole and natural again. This book is my love offering to the land and the people of Vietnam and Hawaii, and the vast Pacific Ocean that connects them. It is my hope that it provides beauty and healing to the trauma and suffering that has come through generations of loss and the struggles of mental illness."
- Dr. Elizabeth Nguyen
to download the first four chapters of Aloha Vietnam & order yourself a copy, click here!
to check out the free online course Water and the Elements mentioned, click here!
as always, liv & kim give a little update on their past week (and apparently realize they have another friend in common), along with the books they are currently reading and, perhaps, not reading
books mentioned:
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by M.D. Deepak Chopra
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating wherever you listen to podcasts!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv & kim! on this week's episode, we have a very special guest, bestie of the pod, jamie! jamie came on to discuss one of the best books we've ever read, the vanishing half by britt bennett.
this week, we chat about how jamie and liv met, jamie's research, kim's experience at the all you can eat buffet, and liv going to the dog park with remi and taylor for the first time since the winter. we get into the book at around 31 minutes, and there are spoilers beginning at 42 minutes.
books mentioned in this episode:
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Candy House by Jennifer Egan
audiobooks mentioned:
The Harry Potter Audiobooks narrated by Tim Dale
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Call Me By Your Name by Anthony Aciman
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
as always, email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate links in which we may make a small commission from your purchase if used. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv & kim! on this weeks episode, we wanted to highlight some of our favourite books by asian authors. we wanted to give a disclaimer that although aapi stands for asian american & pacific islander, we chat about books by authors that also live in canada, england, and australia. we hope this list gives you some fresh ideas for books to read, not just this month, but all year round!
as always, liv & kim catch up on the random things they've been up to. liv talks about seeing live music in kingston (shout out to the sugar pills), while kim talks about football in sevilla and spending time in the pool because of the spring heat. we get into the book recommendations around 20:00.
books mentioned:
We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
aapi books mentioned:
We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
Aloha Vietnam by Elizabeth Nguyen
When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley
I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa
as always, email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv and kim! this week, we get into a missing person's thriller, local woman missing by mary kubica!
this week, we chat about kim's wild spanish weekend out, the love is blind live failure, liv doing more pottery, beef on netflix, and simu liu singing. we also chat about beartown and kim figure skating!
we get into this book around 33 minutes. we give a very detailed no-spoiler summary of the book before getting into spoilers at 55 minutes.
books mentioned in this episode:
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Aloha Vietnam by Elizabeth Nguyen
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
as always, email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate links in which we may make a small commission from your purchase if used. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv and kim! this week, we have our first guest on the pod!!! we are excited to be joined by author josie teed to discuss her debut novel british columbiana: a millennial in a gold rush town. we pick josie's brain about her experience living in the tiny town of wells, british columbia, while working at the nearby heritage site in barkerville. we chat about how she got into writing a book, the publishing process, and what she is up to now. we had a blast having josie join us for this episode! big shout out to the publisher Dundurn Press for sending us a review copy through Netgalley for our honest thoughts.
no spoilers in this one! you'll have to pick up a copy to read about the story of the virgin white russian that almost had us in tears.
don't forget to head over to our instagram to enter to win a copy of british columbiana!
books mentioned:
The City & The City: A Novel by China Miéville
Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography by Chester Brown
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
What Strange Paradise: A Novel by Omar El Akkad
Camp Zero: A Novel by Michelle Min Sterling
as always, email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate links in which we may make a small commission from your purchase if used. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv and kim! this week, we're back with another chatty episode. in this week's episode, we chat about spring, patio beers, kim's experience with easter in spain, and liv's adjustment to their new job.
we go through popsugar's best booktok books and offer our (well, liv's strong...) opinions on young adult novels and more. this is a juicy episode, we want to know what you think! https://www.popsugar.co.uk/entertainment/best-books-on-booktok-48335260?stream_view=1#photo-49066318
we start going through the list at around 27 minutes. no spoilers in this episode!
other books mentioned in this episode:
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate codes. we may make a small commission off your purchase if you use the links above. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with liv and kim! this week we discuss emily henry and her three books, beach read, people we meet on vacation, and book lovers. we talk about romance novels, if we like them or not, and what we thought about these ones. we also chat about kim's long commute to work, remi getting neutered, liv's parents coming to visit, liv's end of term and working on their thesis, and more!
we get into the books at 25:00, and there are no true "spoilers" in this episode.
books mentioned:
British Columbiana by Josie Teed
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate codes. we may make a small commission off your purchase if you use the links above. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! this week we discuss the first thriller of the pod, rock paper scissors by alice feeney.
we chat about kim’s new job, living in spain in the summer, kim’s parents and friends coming to visit, and we also talk about liv’s new apartment and their new job!
books mentioned in this episode:
British Columbiana by Josie Teed, out on March 28, 2023
The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar, out on April 18, 2023
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, out on April 11, 2023
The Other Pandemic by Lynn Curlee, out on June 6, 2023 - Pre Order here!
We get into the book at 27:30 and spoilers are at 37:30 (you really don't want the spoilers if you haven't read this one!!)
Article about Brad Pitt having prosopagnosia, written by Ottessa Moshfegh: https://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-august-cover-profile
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate codes. we may make a small commission off your purchase if you use the links above. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! this week we talk about a very important book, from the ashes by jesse thistle. this episode is more serious as we get into topics involving the houseless population, Indigenous issues, drug and alcohol addiction, and poverty. please take care while listening.
before we get to the book, we chat about liv’s weekend in toronto (the 6 lol), kim’s new job in spain, celebrity sightings, and liv's first week of training for their half marathon. we also talk reading slumps and signing up with netgalley.com.
exciting news about this episode: we are hosting a giveaway (open to residents of canada and the usa)! four lucky listeners will receive a paperback copy of from the ashes. check out our instagram for more details: https://www.instagram.com/bestreadpodcast/
we start chatting about the book at 30:00, with spoilers at around 59:00.
books mentioned:
- From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Shannon Samantha - The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph - The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry -Harry Potter Books on Audio
-Life in the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Muller
other media mentioned:
The Insiders (TV Show on Netflix)
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
the links included in the description may contain affiliate codes. we may make a small commission off your purchase if you use the links above. we appreciate the support!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! this week we dive into some reading updates, chat about what books we want to read next, and we end the podcast with some buzzfeed book quizzes.
we chat about a week off from recording, liv's trip to montreal, kim's trip to madrid, and her time with a fellow bookstagrammer, @pierrereads! we also chat about kim's clock adjusting to spain time, eating spanish mcdonalds, and our love for used books.
books mentioned in this episode:
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Stationary Shop of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness by Da'Shaun L. Harrison
Either/Or by Elif Batuman
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Fat and Queer edited by Bruce Owens Grimm, Miguel M. Morales, and Tiff Joshua TJ Fereneti
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
If I Had Your Face by Francis Cha
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
Circe by Madeline Miller
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
we also mention a ton of children's books, too many to list here!
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! we are sooo excited for this episode. this book was one of our favorites of the year so far, the idiot by elif batuman.
this week, we chat about liv's most recent pottery session, kim's new favorite euro bar, and rihanna's concert aka the halftime show of the superbowl.
light spoilers are at 45 minutes, but the book doesn't have major spoilers because it is more of a ~vibes~ book.
buy the idiot here: https://amzn.to/3KqveOc [this is an affiliate link, we may receive a small commission if you decide to purchase through this link)
books mentioned:
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Either/Or by Elif Batuman
other media mentioned
Crazy Rich Asians (film, 2018)
Crazy Stupid Love (film, 2011)
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i’ve ever read podcast! we are back this week with a memoir, crying in H mart by michelle zauner.
this week, we talk about what we did for valentine’s day! liv and their partner went to red lobster (lol) and kim and her partner went to madrid! kim met up with fellow bookstagrammer, pierre. give him a follow at @pierrereads !
we get into crying in H mart at 20:35. if you have a history of disordered eating, eating disorders, or sensitivities speaking about food, take care while listening to this episode.
books mentioned:
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
True Biz by Sara Nović
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
other media mentioned:
Sharp Objects as a limited TV series
One True Loves as a movie
Daisy Jones and the Six as a TV series
Maangchi on Youtube
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! we are back with part 2 of the talented, the brilliant, sally rooney! if you haven't listened to part 1 yet, make sure you head over there first before diving into part 2!
in this episode we go into our thoughts on normal people (we get right into it!), and beautiful world, where are you at 17:17.
loose spoilers are sprinkled throughout
books mentioned in this episode:
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! this week, we dive into the wonderful, the talented, the brilliant, sally rooney, and lucky for you, there's so much to talk about it that we have it in two parts! in these episodes, we cover conversations with friends, normal people, and beautiful world, where are you.
in this episode, we chat about astrology, old art and museums, reese's recent book club picks, and moving to a "rainy" city after living in calgary our whole lives. we start talking about the books around 27:30, and we begin talking about conversations with friends at 49:30.
loose spoilers are sprinkled throughout
books mentioned in this episode:
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
True Biz by Sara Nović
other media mentioned:
Cunk on Earth with Philomena Cunk (Netflix)
Women Talking (also a book written by Miriam Teows)
we start talking about the books around 27:30, we begin talking about conversations with friends at 49:30, loose spoilers are sprinkled throughout
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! for the fourth episode, we are discussing the book that is on everyone’s to be read list. from jimmy fallon’s book club to john green claiming this is one of the BEST books he’s ever read - tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin is making waves!
in this episode, we chat about doing touristy things, university, wondering if internet trends have become more cringe, and as always, update each other on what we're reading.
books mentioned in this episode:
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
we get into tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow at 20:52
spoilers start at 33:40
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast! we're so happy to have you back for our third episode. this week we review my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh.
in this episode, we chat about taking a break from social media, becoming professional artists, seth rogen & whoopi goldberg, and update each other on what we're reading.
books mentioned in this episode:
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Either/Or by Elif Batuman
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
we get into my year of rest and relaxation at 24:30
spoilers start at 45:30
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!
carrie soto, she’s back! and so are we. welcome back to the best i've ever read podcast with your hosts, liv and kim! for our second episode, we cover one of the hottest books of the past year, Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest release: carrie soto is back. we have lots of thoughts on this book, and we reference some of the other TJR books, so if you know, you know!
in this episode, we chat about our weeks and what we’ve been reading. side tangents include football, crocheting, not being real on our bereals, our favorite "comfort" shows, and more.
we chat until 26:00, then we start diving into carrie soto is back. spoilers start at 44:00.
books mentioned in this episode:
Night Swim by Megan Goldin
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (baby spoiler at 43:40)
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid
as always, follow us on instagram: @bestreadpodcast
email us your thoughts or suggestions at bestreadpodcast@gmail.com
support us on patreon patreon.com/bestreadpodcast
and give us a 5 star rating!