January is officially over — and the receipts are in. In this cozy but chaotic January wrap-up episode, we’re revisiting our reading goals, giving ourselves a very unserious report card, and unpacking what actually happened versus what we thought this month would look like.

We talk about slowing down instead of burning out, and how one six-star read completely reshaped our expectations for all Romantasy books that followed. We also get into book tracking apps, reading slumps, and why some hyped books just don’t hit depending on timing, mood, or mindset.

We share what we read this month — from classics like The Picture of Dorian Gray, to romantasy debuts like Veins of Power, to one truly unhinged literary fiction pick (Sky Daddy). We also recap what we watched in January, including TV shows, adaptations, and the pop culture distractions that pulled us away from our TBRs.

We wrap up by reflecting on what we’re carrying into February — from genre balance and pacing to reading expectations and media habits.

If you love books, TV, pop culture, and bookish conversations that feel like hanging out with friends (not homework), this episode is for you.

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People We Meet on Vacation is officially on screen… and romance readers are divided.

In today’s episode of Book Bits & Chill, we’re diving into the People We Meet on Vacation book to movie adaptation. Are we book-to-screen purists or sympathizers? What did Hollywood change, and did those changes actually work? We break down everything from Barcelona vs Palm Springs, the ending swap, the missing Alex backstory, and whether Emily Henry protected the emotional spine of the story.

⏱️ WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 — Purists vs Sympathizers 📚🎬
05:40 — Palm Springs vs Barcelona 🇺🇸🇪🇸
10:20 — That controversial ending 😬
12:10 — Casting & chemistry supremacy ✨🔥
16:20 — Why Hollywood changed the book ⭐
24:30 — Our Book Bits & Chill scorecard 🧪
29:30 — Are rom-coms BACK? 💘

⭐ OUR OFFICIAL BBC SCORECARD:
📚 Adaptation score
🎬 Casting & chemistry
🍿 Standalone rom-com value
💬 Overall verdict

If you’ve ever loved a book a little too hard… this one’s for you. Bring your blankets, bring your book boyfriends, and let’s talk rom-coms!

✨ Watch, comment, and subscribe if you want more book-to-screen episodes from us!

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Is The Everlasting really a six-star read — and should you read it?

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most talked-about books on BookTok and Bookstagram, often hailed as a top book of 2025 and a romantasy that the genre should be taking notes from. We start with a spoiler-free recap to set the stage, then break down our honest thoughts, reactions, and reflections.

We discuss why The Everlasting feels different from copy-and-paste romantasy, how it challenges reader expectations, and whether the hype actually holds up. From nuanced character dynamics to morally complex villains and layered themes, this conversation is all about what worked, what challenged us, and what lingered after the final page.

Finally, we answer the question everyone wants to know: who should read this book — and who might want to skip it. We also wrap up by sharing the 2026 book releases we’re most excited for, including upcoming sequels, romance standouts, fantasy favorites, and genre-bending reads we already can’t stop thinking about.

✨ In this episode:

• Spoiler-free recap of The Everlasting
• Honest romantasy discussion & genre critique
• Our ratings and final verdict
• Should you read this? Who it’s perfect for (and who it’s not)
• The 2026 book releases we’re most excited about

If you’ve been wondering whether The Everlasting lives up to the hype — or you’re looking for your next meaningful fantasy romance — this one’s for you.

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It’s a new year… which means new intentions, fresh planners, and at least three versions of ourselves living rent-free in our brains.

In this episode, we talk about:

• why resolutions feel overwhelming and how to make them realistic
• big goals vs tiny dopamine-hit goals
• whether rereads “count” towards your goal
• attention spans, burnout, and Romantasy overload
• choosing a word of the year (Youthful? Whimsy? Immersive?)
• motivating reads, comfort reads, and perspective-shifting picks
• building a real, inclusive book community in 2026

We’re starting the year with optimism, intention, and a TBR that may or may not destroy us...and we want to hear your goals too.

Tell us your word for 2026, your first read of the year, or a resolution you want help breaking down into something doable. We’ll cheer you on.

Next week: new releases we’re obsessing over and whether the sequels are actually worth it.

Same time, same place. Bring your blanket. Bring your book boyfriend. See you there.

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In this episode, we’re wrapping up the ACOTAR series with a full recap of A Court of Silver Flames.

We break down Nesta Archeron’s journey from rage to healing, her relationship with Cassian, the rise of the Valkyries, the Blood Rite, the Dead Trove, and the events that reshape Prythian by the end of the book. We also share our honest reactions, what worked for us on reread, and where Silver Flames fits within the series overall.

To close out our final ACOTAR episode, we dive into ACOTAR 6 theories and predictions, including:

• Who we think the next book will follow
• The future of Elain, Azriel, Gwyn, and Lucien
• Whether the story is headed toward court politics, war, or something bigger

⚠️ Full spoilers for A Court of Silver Flames and the entire ACOTAR series.

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There is something about the holidays that makes us crave familiarity. The stories we return to, the movies we rewatch, and the books that feel more like comfort than content.

In this Christmas episode of Book Bits & Chill, you can expect:

✨ Spoiler-light Good Spirits review
👻 Hot ghosts and holiday romance expectations
🎄 What makes a Christmas classic
🎬 Favorite holiday movies and comfort watches

To finish things off, we play a Naughty or Nice game featuring bookish hot takes, DNFing, enemies to lovers crimes, holiday smut opinions, and extremely specific reader behavior that might land you on Santa’s watch list.

This episode is cozy, opinionated, slightly unhinged, and best enjoyed while wrapping gifts or pretending you like eggnog.

🎧 Next episode: A Court of Silver Flames. Final ACOTAR reread thoughts, predictions for ACOTAR 6, and very strong feelings.

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Why do smutty books have such a chokehold on women? And why do we keep choosing fictional men over real ones?

In this episode of Book Bits & Chill, Cassie and Emily dive deep (pun fully intended) into the world of smut, erotica, and spicy romance — and why women can’t get enough of it. We talk about why women are turned on by words more than visuals, and how romance novels act as emotional foreplay and low-stakes escapism.

We unpack the difference between slow burn yearning and instant gratification, debate when smut enhances a story versus when it completely derails the plot, and explain why “men written by women” feel so unrealistic… and yet so necessary.

Emily steps into her role as the Smutty Professor to recommend the best smutty books for beginners, while Cassie argues that men desperately need a masterclass in yearning. Plus, we end with chaos: Two Truths and a Lie: Erotica Edition, where we test whether these unhinged plots are real books or pure fever dreams.

If you’ve ever wondered why smut improves your mood, your stress levels, and maybe even your sex life — this episode is for you.

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Today we’re handing out our 2025 Reader Superlatives and Best Books of the Year — and yes, it’s as chaotic as it sounds. If your reading year was fueled by BookTok recommendations, romantasy spirals, emotional damage, and wildly inappropriate book boyfriends, welcome home. In this awards-show-style book podcast episode, we crown the best books of 2025 across romance, fantasy, sci-fi, literary fiction, and thrillers.

We give out awards for Best Book Boyfriend, Most Likely to Keep You Up Until 3AM, Most Emotionally Devastating Read, Funniest Book of the Year, Biggest Mind-Bender, Emotional Support Book, Most Confusing Fantasy World-Building, Genre-Bending Wild Card, and our official Top Book of 2025.

We deep dive into Project Hail Mary, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Ascended, The Favorites, Zodiac Academy, Emily Henry books, The Nightingale, Onyx Storm, and more. We break down what makes these the most talked-about BookTok books of 2025, which romances rewired our brains, which reads wrecked our emotions, and which stories we could not stop recommending to literally everyone.

If you’re looking for best books of 2025 and BookTok book recommendations to stock up your 2026 TBR, you are in the right place!

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