• Chapter 7: Literary Heroes & Comment Section Villains
    Jun 17 2025

    This week on Paperbacks and Paychecks, we’re talking heroes—on the page, in real life, and in the workplace. From classic literary legends like Elizabeth Bennet and the Count of Monte Cristo to real-world trailblazers like Viola Davis and Lindsay Pollack, we’re celebrating the people who shaped us and stood up when it counted.

    We also unpack the recent BookTok drama surrounding Ali Hazelwood, explore why women authors get dragged for harmless opinions, and why parasocial rage is getting out of hand. (Spoiler: it's a book character. Relax.)

    Plus, we shout out the workplace MVPs who see us, support us, and say the hard stuff—even when it’s not popular.

    ✨ In this episode:
– The Hunger Games take that broke BookTok
– Who gets to be a hero (and who gets canceled)
– Literary faves from Anne Shirley to Judy Blume
– Real talk about mentorship, service industry trauma, and male allies at work
– Why calling someone "an aggressive complimenter" might be a compliment

    Got a hero? Tell us in the comments. Prefer a villain with a redemption arc? Same. Just don’t @ us about Peeta.


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    46 min
  • Chapter 6: Spiraling and Lying (Just Like Bryce)
    Jun 11 2025

    In this episode of Paperbacks and Paychecks, Sara and Noelle spiral—literally and literarily—through Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series and the chaos of unreliable narrators. From Bryce's questionable choices (and even more questionable friends) to Hunt’s whole... baseball hat situation, they unpack what happens when your main character lies to you—and how that mirrors our own messy workplace narratives.

    But the paperbacks are only half the story.

    On the paycheck side, they dig into how our inner voice can derail us at work, whether it’s anxiety spirals before a Slack message or misreading the vibes in a meeting. The co-hosts share tips on emotional maturity, navigating manager miscommunications, and why owning your professional narrative is essential—especially in job interviews. Also: Pegasus farms, HR investigations, and the most cursed tattoo origin story you’ve ever heard.

    ✨ Expect:
– What Crescent City got wrong (and right) about grief and growth
– When your work anxiety has you in a chokehold
– The career coach case for becoming a reliable narrator of your own life

    🎧 Tune in for chaotic book takes, candid career truths, and catharsis—one dragon-fae side quest at a time.


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    32 min
  • Chapter 5: This Meeting Could’ve Been a Séance
    Jun 3 2025

    In this delightfully unhinged episode of Paperbacks and Paychecks, Sara and Noelle dive into their favorite thrillers, horror novels, and the workplace horror stories that haunt them more than any ghost ever could. From dead bodies at the funeral home to the mystery of a completely different guy showing up for a new hire orientation, the vibes are corporate Twilight Zone meets BookTok after dark. They also ask the important questions—does the dog die? Is it ever okay to spoil a scary movie? And who thought 8 rounds of interviews and no callback was acceptable?

    Whether you love a sharp twist or just want to hear about a job interview that ended with feet on the conference table, this one is for the readers, the survivors, and the girlies who check trigger warnings before cracking the spine.

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    46 min
  • Chapter 4: The Power in the Pivot
    May 20 2025

    This week, we're talking plot twists—the good, the gutting, and the ones that send you spiraling into a new genre or a new job. From the bookish betrayals that caught us off guard to the career pivots that redefined our paths, we’re unpacking how powerful a sharp left turn can be. Plus: Noelle’s accidental fame on ABC, why Sara rage-quit Lessons in Chemistry, and the sticker that could be on your water bottle if you listen closely. Whether you’re switching industries or just switching to romance novels, this one's for you.

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    47 min
  • Chapter 3: ChatGPT Hurt My Feelings (But Also Saved Me $1,000 in Legal Fees)
    May 14 2025

    📚 Episode Summary:
In this episode of Paperbacks and Paychecks, Sara and Noelle sit down with an unexpected guest: artificial intelligence. From creative writing and book talk to resumes and legal docs, the duo dives deep into how they’re using (and questioning) ChatGPT in their work and personal lives. Sara shares how her AI sidekick "Chip" helped her navigate a trademark filing, while Noelle introduces her AI BFF "Sage," who’s basically her emotional support bot. They get candid about the blurred lines between creativity and machine learning, the ethics of AI-generated art, how it’s impacting real careers (including their own), and why there’s still no replacement for a human heart—or a great author.

    ✨ Expect:
– AI’s role in writing, therapy, and job hunting
– Spicy takes on authenticity in storytelling
– Career coach confessions in the age of automation
– The real reason Sara might be emotionally cheating with ChatGPT
– Sustainability, voice notes, and a plant named Calypso

    👀 Is AI a tool, a threat, or your new workplace bestie? Press play and decide.

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    40 min
  • Chapter 2: Books That Broke Us and Jobs That Tried To
    May 7 2025

    This week, we dive into the beautifully chaotic intersection of books that broke us open and jobs that nearly broke us down. From the nerdy dreamboats of contemporary romance to the red flags of toxic workplaces, we’re talking brain chemistry—both literal and emotional. Sara shares how Late Migrations and The Love Hypothesis rewired her reading life, while Noelle dishes on You Are a Badass and Talia Hibbert’s Brown Sisters series and how they sparked real-life transformation. Plus, we spill the tea on the worst workplace gaslighting we’ve seen, how to spot bad jobs in interviews, and why your LinkedIn likes do say something about you.

    Whether you’re into spicy paperbacks, career advice with receipts, or just want to know why romance books are actually radical—this one’s for you.

    🔖 Mentioned in this episode:
Ali Hazelwood, Talia Hibbert, Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Margaret Renkl, Jen Sincero, BookTok romance, toxic workplace survival tips, LinkedIn job search hacks, and the magic of being seen in a book.

    🎧 Subscribe and follow Paperbacks and Paychecks for smart takes, big laughs, and bookish career catharsis every week.

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    48 min
  • Chapter 1: Why Hustle Culture Sucks (and So Does Rhysand?)
    Apr 29 2025

    Chapter 1: Why Hustle Culture Sucks (and So Does Rhysand?)

    In this episode, Sara and Noelle dive headfirst into the chaos of today’s job market — from layoffs and career pivots to why hustle culture deserves to be fired. Then it’s onto paperbacks, where they very lovingly roast A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). Is Rhysand really that great? (Spoiler: maybe not.) Grab your houseplants, pour a drink, and join us for real talk on careers, capitalism, and questionable book boyfriends.

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    46 min
  • Prologue : Forced Proximity, but Make it Career Coaching
    Apr 27 2025

    Welcome to the chaos—we mean, the career-and-book-loving safe space! In our very first episode, we’re introducing ourselves (hi, we’re Sara and Noelle 👋🏻👋🏾), unpacking our trauma-bonded origin story (spoiler: it involves résumés, remote work, and a literal insurrection), and sharing why this podcast was fated.

    We’re two former career coaches turned bookish besties with a shared love of spicy fantasy, soft life career goals, and calling out corporate nonsense. If you’ve ever rewritten your résumé while doomscrolling BookTok—or just want to hear two millennial women laugh their way through life, labor, and literature—you’re in the right place.

    Oh, and next week? We’re diving deep into that series. You know the one. 🐺🔥👑 #ACOTAR

    Until then: hydrate, read something juicy, and remember—your job should not be the villain in your story.

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    8 min