Besties and the Books Podcast
We’re Ashley and Liz, two real-life besties who’ve loved books since we first learned to read, so naturally, we started a podcast! We would say the rest is history but in actuality, it's just the beginning. So come join us in the next chapter of our lives as we introduce ourselves, and laugh our way through the world of books with a focus on Fantasy, Romantasy, and Dark Romance. Of course we have love for all book genres, but those are our absolute favorites!
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!
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@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast
Liz
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife
Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix
Email bestiesandthebooks@gmail.com
Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!
YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms
@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast
Liz
Instagram | TikTok
@TheRealLifeVeganWife
Ashley
Instagram | TikTok
@AshleyEllix
Email bestiesandthebooks@gmail.com
Episodes
35 episodes since 2024
Ep 28 Going Deep into Split or Swallow by Lindsay Straube
Did you hear?! A couple of weeks ago we did our very first author interview with Lindsay Straube | @oxfordlemon and talked to her all about her new Amazon bestselling debut love triangle romance book, Split or Swallow. ...
September 17, 2024
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Episode 28
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1:13:24
The Order of the Phoenix (and the triangle) | Harry Potter Book 5 | Bonus Minisode
It’s week 5 over here in this crazy Harry Potter whirlwind of a miniseries!Join Ashley and Liz as they read the entire HP series for the first time as full grown adults! Do you want our commentary? How about our thoughts on whether or no...
September 13, 2024
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42:28
Ep 27 🎃 5 Fall Book Recommendations + Halloween Hopefuls!
Let’s talk about fall, bay-bee. Let’s talk about Hall-O-Ween. Cuz we are fall girlies over here at the BATB Podcast! And we think a lot of you are too. Today we’re bringing you a full episode of spo...
September 10, 2024
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Episode 27
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1:02:46
There Ain’t Nothin’ in that Goblet of Fire...Snooze Fest Harry Potter | Book 4 | Bonus Minisode
It’s week 4 of Ashley and Liz’s Harry Potter journey and BOY do we have some things to say about this 752 page book. Shockingly…Yes, we were banned from reading Harry Potter as kids, so we are spending these 8 weeks discovering everythin...
September 06, 2024
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50:22
Ep 26 It’s Serpent Summer with Lindsay Straube! | Split or Swallow Author Interview
Today’s Episode is BATB Podcast very first author interview! With none other than Lindsay Straube, Amazon BESTSELLING author of her popular love triangle basilisk romance, Split or Swallow.*Author interviews will always be s...
September 03, 2024
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Episode 26
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57:54
What’s Up with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? | Book 3 | Bonus Minisode
Here we are in week 3 of Ashley & Liz’s Harry Potter Minisode Series!Yes, we were banned from reading Harry Potter as kids, and yes, we’re reading them for the first time now as elder Millennials. And we wanna talk about them with yo...
August 30, 2024
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46:10
Ep 25 But...AM I THE A HOLE?? | Reacting to MORE AITA Reddit Book Edition
We’re back in your ears with Part 3 of your favorite silly series where we respond to “Am I The A Hole” Bookish Questions from Reddit, and then pose those same questions to you, our listeners! Do we think that curating ...
August 27, 2024
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Episode 25
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1:07:52
"I Want What's In THAT Chamber of Secrets!" | Harry Potter Book 2 | Bonus Minisode
Welcome back to Ashley & Liz’s Harry Potter Minisode series! We were BANNED from reading Harry Potter as kids, so naturally, we’d grow up to read them in our mid 30’s and podcast about it.Episode 2 covers book 2: Harry Po...
August 23, 2024
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33:41
Ep 24 Recommendations & Warnings! 1 Sentence Rapid Book Reviews! (Jan-June Reads)
Where did we come from? Where did we go? Where did we come from… Cotten Eye Joe? Today on the pod Ashley and Liz tell you all about our recent Alaska Cruise Vacay, and how much fun it was to buddy read our ARCs of Split or Swallow b...
August 20, 2024
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Episode 24
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1:28:37
Reading Harry Potter For The First Time As Adults! | Sorcerer's Stone | Bonus Minisode 1
Welcome to Ashley & Liz’s first mini episode bonus series, this round featuring Harry Potter! If you’ve been following our “satanic panic” series then you know, we were BANNED from reading Harry Potter as children, so we’re recl...
August 16, 2024
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41:03
Ep 23 Reacting to YOUR Unpopular Book Opinions!
This episode is exactly what it sounds like! After our last “unpopular opinions” episode, you all sent us your most unpopular bookish opinions so Ashley and Liz can react to them. And we sure had a blast! We start off with some easy...
August 13, 2024
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Episode 23
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1:04:45
Ep 22 Satanic Panic of 90s! Book Bans, Ouija Boards, and Mansons OH MY!
Today is the day Ashley and Liz take the deep dive. You know us, we’re usually Sparknotes gals… but in order to paint the entire Satanic Panic picture we have to take you back to where it all began…so we did the research! What exact...
July 30, 2024
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Episode 22
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1:30:14
Ep 21 Should YOU Read "A Touch of Gold and Madness"? | BOOK TROPE UPDATE
Believe it or not, we’re on our FOURTH installment in our Book Trope Series! Today is all about the book Ashley picked for Liz based on her top five favorite book tropes, and book boyfriend qualities: A Touch of Gold & Madness by K. L. Devo...
July 23, 2024
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Episode 21
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1:26:40
Ep 20 Books That TRAUMATIZED US as kids ✨ BOOKS THAT MADE US SERIES
Today is the big kick off of our Satanic Panic Series! We laugh, we cry, we use this platform to help heal ourselves, and hopefully you all, by discussing topics that are difficult, but ultimately helped to shape us as people.First and f...
July 16, 2024
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Episode 20
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1:18:26
Ep 19 Is THE GREAT GATSBY Still Great 100 YEARS LATER?! + Millennial Roman Empires!
Today we’re back for our fourth installment in our “Books That Made Us” nostalgia series, covering our reread of a classic: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.We venture back to highschool in the early 2000’s to remember all the boo...
July 09, 2024
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Episode 19
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1:26:26
Ep 18 Am I The A HOLE, Honestly?! REACTING TO MORE Reddit Book Threads!
We’re back at it with Part 2 of the popular series where we respond to “Am I The A Hole” Bookish Questions on Reddit, and then pose those same questions to you, our listeners! Do we think getting upset at your coworker ...
July 02, 2024
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Episode 18
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1:12:08
Ep 17 Book of Azrael was overhyped? | BOOK TROPE PICK UPDATE for Ashley
Welcome back to the BATB Podcast, where your hosts Liz and Ashley pick books for each other to read based on our most liked and least liked tropes so that we can talk to you about them! Well… sometimes that’s what we do!Today is our fir...
June 25, 2024
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Episode 17
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1:18:59
Ep 16 Life-Changing BOOKS THAT MADE US ✨ High School Edition!
You all know that as proud Millennials, Ashley and Liz like to use this podcast as a way to take us all back. So picture it. It’s 2004. You’re reluctantly reading some book your English teacher assigned. Maybe it’s The Great Gatsby, Fah...
June 18, 2024
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Episode 16
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53:52
Ep 15 A Court of Mist and Fury (+ Book Bingeing & Blackouts) | BOOK 2 ACOTAR SERIES
Today we continue our ACOTAR Deep Dive Series into book two, A Court of Mist and Fury! Come along this journey with us as we hash out all the major plot points, meet the inner circle, and ask important questions like IS TAMLIN REDEE...
June 11, 2024
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Episode 15
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1:19:24
Ep 14 "Fourth Wing was overhyped!" UNPOPULAR book OPINIONS!
We love unpopular *book* opinions, yes we do! We love unpopular *book* opinions, how about you?!On today’s episode Ashley and Liz delve into the world of unpopular bookish opinions sent in by you, our listeners and subscribe...
June 04, 2024
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Episode 14
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54:16
Ep 13 A Court of Thorns and Roses (and Teen Heartthrobs?) | BOOK 1 ACOTAR SERIES
Today is all about the book that started it all: A Court of Thorns & Roses by mother herself, Sarah J. Maas. We take a deep (ish) dive into book one, and kick off our five-part ACOTAR series, because we couldn’t soldier on with this podcast...
May 28, 2024
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Episode 13
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1:14:55
Ep 12 AM I THE A HOLE? Reddit Bookish Edition!
On today’s episode Ashley and Liz respond to AITA Reddit questions with bookish themes. Do we think you should kick the husbands out for a weekly book club night with the girls? Is loaning out your mom’s books and not getting them back ...
May 21, 2024
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Episode 12
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55:09
Ep 11 "you NEED TO read When the Moon Hatched" + UPDATE! Books That Made Us "The Dark is Rising" Review
What happens when Ashley and Liz accidentally read different books for an episode?! We thought we were both reading The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper - the middle school nostalgia read we previously picked for this series. HOWEVER… we didn’t. ...
May 14, 2024
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Episode 11
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55:29
Ep 10 Favorite BOOK TROPES That DON'T Give Us The ICK!
WHAT THINGS DO NOT GIVE US THE ICK?!There are so many! And we cannot wait to discuss them with you! If you’ve been following along, you know we did an entire series on “what DOES give us the ick.” So now, we’re flippin that on its head....
May 07, 2024
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Episode 10
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1:09:13
Ep 09 RANKING *All The* THRONE OF GLASS Books by Sarah J Maas!!
This week Ashley and Liz embark on a nearly impossible task! We rate all eight Throne of Glass books from least liked, to most liked! When we said this was a doozy, we meant it! Especially since all 8 books are easily 4 or 5 star reads fo...
April 30, 2024
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Episode 9
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1:01:32