In this episode of the Fully-Booked literary podcast, we’re back in the room with Meaghan, Shirin, and Arthur, though Arthur gets plenty of playful shade right out of the gate. The energy is chaotic in the best way, and we all seem to embrace it.
This time around, we’re not doing a structured game or typical author discussion. Instead, we’ve decided to have a casual roundtable where we toss out book recommendations based on popular titles.
Think of it as a “if you liked this, try this” style chat, the kind of stuff you might scroll through on BookTok, but with more tangents, more laughs, and a whole lot more coffee shop banter.
So, yes, it’s a podcast version of one of those aesthetic recommendation reels, but longer and full of personality. We’re hoping it helps listeners find their next favorite read, whether they’re winding down for bed or commuting with earbuds in. Along the way, we make plenty of jokes, toss in personal stories, and keep things as relatable as ever.
Cozy Fantasy And Twisty YA Picks
Meaghan kicks things off with Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. It’s a standout in cozy fantasy, a genre that’s all about lower stakes and high charm. This one’s about a retired assassin who just wants to run a coffee shop. We love it because it’s charming without the constant doom that high fantasy sometimes leans into. If you’re tired of watching your favorite characters die dramatically, this is your safe space.
From there, we get three recommendations to follow that cozy vibe:
- This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher offers more of an epic twist, following four heroes who reunite years after saving the world to stop another evil. It’s got humor, sarcasm, and a nostalgic team-up energy.
- Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfhart includes orcs, elves, and romance, much like Legends and Lattes, but kicks the fantasy world-building up a notch.
- Dreadful by Caitlin Rosakus is quirky and a bit chaotic. A man wakes up in an evil wizard’s lair and slowly realizes… he’s the wizard. It’s got dark magic with a comedic undertone that keeps things from getting too heavy.
Next, Shirin brings up We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, a twisty, emotional YA mystery that clearly divides readers. Some of us saw the ending a mile away. Others (hi, Shirin) were shocked. Either way, it sparks strong reactions. From there, the recommended reads are:
- One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, a classic high school murder mystery.
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, which begins as a school project but morphs into a full-on whodunit.
Both offer those unreliable narrators and layers of secrets that make for great binge reads (and binge-worthy shows, too).
RelatedLesser-Known YA Fantasy Series That Deserve More Hype
Sci-Fi Sarcasm and Robots with Feelings
Arthur (yes, we’re letting him talk now) shifts us into sci-fi territory. He spotlights The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, which is being adapted into a TV show. The series centers around a sarcastic AI bot who’s pretending not to be sentient while dealing with messy human feelings. It’s funny, sharp, and dives into questions about identity and autonomy.
RelatedCan’t Get Enough Of Apple TV+ Murderbot? These Sci-Fi Books Have The Same Sarcastic Vibes
The companion picks for Murderbot are:
- Neuromancer by William Gibson, the cyberpunk classic full of noir and hacking vibes.
- Autonomous by Annalee Newitz, a gritty, emotional dive into freedom and biotech ethics.
- Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie features a starship AI stuck in a single human body, trying to cope and also seek revenge.
This whole section sparks a thoughtful conversation about how sci-fi is evolving to focus more on questions of self, ethics, and AI rights, especially as real-world conversations about artificial intelligence ramp up.
From Gothic to Gruesome: Creepy Houses and Haunting Pasts
Meaghan circles back with another strong pick: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. This gothic classic inspires a group of haunting and eerie recommendations:
- The September House by Carissa Orlando, where every September, the house goes full horror mode with blood on the walls and something lurking in the basement.
- The Only One Left by Riley Sager, another gothic mystery involving a secluded cliffside mansion and a historical murder case.
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson delivers that same psychological tension and sense of dread found in Rebecca.
We also detour briefly into House of Leaves territory, a book so bizarre in structure it’s basically unreadable in audiobook form. Everyone agrees it’s an experience, not just a novel.
Court of Thorns, Shadow Daddies, and Fae Romance
Then we dive into a big one: A Court of Thorns and Roses (or ACOTAR, because who has time for long titles) by Sarah J. Maas. This fantasy romance gets a lot of love and some side-eye, depending on who you ask. It starts like Beauty and the Beast but quickly turns into something much more plot-heavy and twisty.
Meaghan recommends:
- Quicksilver by Callie Hart, where the heroine gets dragged into the fae realm after trying to save her family. It’s rich in world-building and dramatic romantic tension.
- Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco, a witchy, demon-summoning fantasy with Italian vibes, mouthwatering food descriptions, and yes—another shadowy love interest.
RelatedThe Allure of Dark Romance: Why Readers Are Drawn to Dangerous Love Stories
We joke a lot about the term shadow daddy, which is hilarious and weirdly accurate for some of these characters. The group shares a good laugh about imagining their dads lurking in shadows. Totally normal podcast behavior…
One-Person Sci-Fi Adventures (and Existential Crisis Fuel)
Back in sci-fi land, Arthur brings us to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which is getting a film adaptation with Ryan Gosling. The book features a lone scientist in space trying to save Earth, accompanied only by an alien rock creature named Rocky. The humor and heart between the human and the alien make it surprisingly emotional.
The suggested read-alikes:
- The Martian, also by Weir. Obviously.
- Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey has that isolated, losing-your-sanity-in-space vibe.
- Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke, a classic of alien exploration and big questions.
We get into the emotional toll of reading too much sci-fi. Some of us find it uplifting and full of imagination. Others (Shirin) find it deeply depressing. Fair enough.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletterVampires, Book Clubs, and Dark Humor
Shirin wraps things up with The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. It’s part horror, part comedy, and all about strong women who take matters into their own hands. Think housewives turned vampire hunters. The book doesn’t shy away from gruesome details, especially involving rats and face tentacles. But it’s also heartfelt and hilarious.
Similar reads include:
- The Honeys by Ryan La Sala, a genre-bending YA horror story about identity, loss, and hive-mind weirdness.
- So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison, another vampire tale that’s more about the women fighting their way through chaos than the monsters themselves.
We end with another surprise: Arthur picks something non-sci-fi for once. Catabasis by R.F. Kuang gets mentioned as a dark academia fantasy with two rival scholars traveling to hell. Yep. Hell. To save a professor. Talk about dedication.
Recommendations here include:
- The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
They all explore dark magic, academic rivalries, and blurred lines between performance and reality. By the end, our TBR piles are towering, and we’re all a little overwhelmed in the best way.
Wrapping Up
We went through a ton of books in this episode: cozy fantasies, murder mysteries, sci-fi sagas, dark academia, and good old-fashioned horror. Some are funny. Some are terrifying. Some make you question your life choices. And some just make you feel seen as a reader who wants something a little different.
We hope at least one of these picks piqued your interest or gave you something new to add to your list. And if your TBR just grew five feet taller, well… same. Until next time, keep on reading. We’ll be here, figuring out how to read all of these before next week.
