Show Notes
Your book besties are back and this week we’re diving into messy families, beach houses, sister dynamics, and one fictional mother that we absolutely could not stand. We’re talking time jumps, family trauma, pacing issues, and whether The May House really needed to be quite that long… plus book-to-screen adaptations, upcoming releases, and romance tropes we would absolutely not survive in real life. Buddy Read Chat
The May House by Jillian Cantor
This week we’re talking:
sister dynamics and family dysfunction multiple timelines (and whether there were maybe too many) pacing issues and plot holes emotionally unavailable parents and characters we struggled to fully connect with
Including:
Ocean Avenue/Yellowcard discourse audiobook narration struggles and Amanda’s conspiracy theory about Veronica’s actual father
Final ratings:⭐️ Kat: 3.5 stars⭐️ Amanda: 4 stars What's On Our Shelf
Wreck by Catherine Newman Dom-Com by Adriana Anders On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz The Inn at Thistledown Hollow by Devon Yates Thinky Thoughts by Gwenda Bond Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
New Releases This Week
Fever Dream by Elsie Silver Murder at the Hotel Orient by Alessandra Ranelli A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity by Rachel Linden Score by Kennedy Ryan The Shippers by Katherine Center The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker The Player’s Club by Rachel Mills The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore
Bookish News & Adaptations This week we’re also talking about:
Margot’s Got Money Troubles getting renewed for season two our thoughts on the Remarkably Bright Creatures adaptation Netflix vs theatrical releases and one adaptation that actually did the book justice
A Fun Question For the Week Which romance trope would you absolutely not survive in real life? Because apparently:
Kat would cry if grumpy/sunshine were her IRL and Amanda says “touch her and die” sounds significantly less romantic outside of fiction
Whether you’re here for the books, the chaos, or the unfiltered opinions- we’re glad you’re here. Want to join our book club? Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. You can signup here Can I Bring My Book Social Links:Instagram: @canibringmybook_clubTikTok: @canibringmybook_clubFacebook: www.facebook.com/canibringmybook
More from Can I Bring My Book
This week your book besties are completely obsessed with Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry. After putting it off for months, we finally picked it up... and immediately wanted book two. We break down the biggest twists (without spoiling everything), compare it to Fourth Wing, Quicksilver, and ACOTAR, debate who the real villain might be, and share our completely unhinged dragon theories. Then we tackle a surprisingly heated question: What actually is the difference between romantasy and fantasy romance? Buddy Read Chat
This week your book besties celebrate Amanda's birthday by diving into Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy. And, let's just say we did not have the same reading experience. Amanda fell for the Nantucket setting, second-chance romance, and emotional family dynamics, while Kat couldn't get past the miscommunication, immature characters, and the "Gilmore Girls meets Jane Austen" comparison. We debate whether the marketing set impossible expectations, unpack the Persuasion inspiration behind the title, and somehow end up talking about Christopher from Gilmore Girls. Buddy Read Chat
This week your book besties are diving into Tropesick by Lauren Okie, a romance built around every trope imaginable. Did it work? Well... let's just say Amanda and Kat didn't exactly have the same reading experience. We discuss grief, second chances, childhood friends-to-lovers, ghostwriting, magical realism (or was it?), and whether a book can become a victim of its own premise. Along the way, Kat develops an unexpected vendetta against excessive description, Amanda defends the romance, and we both try to make sense of that ending. Buddy Read Chat
This week your book besties are diving into Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver, the second installment in the Cape Carnage series. And, we have thoughts. Lots of thoughts! We discuss shocking reveals, serial killer theories, Arthur's fate, Harper and Nolan's relationship, and whether that ending was genuinely shocking or just frustrating. Along the way, we speculate about who might secretly be a murderer, debate the future of Cape Carnage, and accidentally turn part of the episode into a public service announcement. Spoiler alert: we are not fans of the miscommunication trope. Buddy Read Chat
Your book besties are back, and this week we're discussing a book that asks an important question: What happens when the high-achieving ad executive who's built his entire identity around success suddenly... opts out? This week's Buddy Read Chat is Alan Opts Out by Courtney Maum, a sharp, funny satire about consumerism, ambition, family, status, and what really matters when life doesn't go according to plan. We discuss talking-to-animals children, secret social clubs, doomsday communities, surprise betrayals, and why every member of this family desperately needed therapy (and maybe a hug). Buddy Read Chat