The Bookyard Pod

The Bookyard Pod

by Sam and Kai

Season 2

Should You Read Dune? | Ep 1

In this week’s episode, Sam and Kai welcome you back to season two of The Bookyard Pod. To start the season off, we are jumping right into one of our all-time favorite series, Frank Herbert’s Dune. Recently, the franchise had a spike in popularity due to the new movies. However, this series has always been wildly popular and for good reason. If you are a fan of space, the future, religious cults, crazy governments, and witches, this is the series for you. There are some serious spoilers for Dune in this episode. If you didn’t expect that, we aren’t sure how to break it to you…but this is a book podcast.

Season 1

The LAST Episode (of Season 1) | Ep 18

In this episode, Sam and Kai travel back in time to episode three, where they each pitched a book for the other to read. In the present, both of them have completed their reading, and it is time to see what they each thought about the other’s recommendation. After the discussion, the girls offer an inside view into what Season 2 of the podcast has in store for listeners. We hope to see you next season! This episode contains spoilers for both Shark Heart and The Wishing Game.

Best and Worst of Poppy Books | Ep 17

In this episode, Sam and Kai talk about their LAST experiment of season one. Welcome to Best and Worst, where we go to a bookstore and ask a bookseller for the best book they’ve read recently, and one that was not their cup of tea. This time, we went to Poppy Books in Spanish Fork, Utah. This episode contains spoilers for both The Thirteenth Child and Tehrangeles. Listen along to hear us compare the reads and share our thoughts. As part of the Worst and Best series, we want to remind you that people have all kinds of takes. Just because someone didn’t enjoy a particular book, it doesn’t mean that you won’t or that it isn’t worth a read. We hope you’ll read both books we discussed in this episode.

Beyond BookTok: Lesser Known Books from Famous Authors | Ep 16

In this episode, Sam and Kai talk about another fun reading experiment that they recently finished. They read trending books and then read other books written by the same authors. They discover writing style changes, preferred genres, and other helpful insights. This episode contains spoilers for books written by Emily Henrie, Rebecca Ross, Stephanie Meyer (disclaimer in episode), and Rebecca Yarros.

Sunrise on the Reaping | Ep 15

In this episode, Sam and Kai talk about Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins’ new installment in the Hunger Games series. The girls talk about Haymitch, surprisingly recognizable side characters, and corrupt governments. The book is incredible, and we dive into it with you. As always with a deep dive, there are major spoilers in this episode for the book (and the whole series).

The Original Hunger Games Trilogy | Ep 14

In this episode, Sam and Kai launch into the original Hunger Games trilogy in preparation for the release of Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping. The girls talk about how the Hunger Games shaped their childhoods and dystopian fiction. They cover the love triangle and avidly defend Peeta (the chosen MMC). They go into what they most hope to see from the next book in the series, which they will talk about in episode 15. It goes without saying that there are a lot of spoilers in this episode about the Hunger Games…and yet…here I am saying it.

The Rebecca Ross Theory | Ep 13

In this episode, Sam and Kai talk about the Rebecca Ross theory. What started as a theory about how the second books in Ross’ duologies weren’t living up to expectations ended up taking a surprising turn when Sam and Kai decided to read ALL of Rebecca Ross’ books before jumping to conclusions. After discussing Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows, A River Enchanted, A Fire Endless, The Queen’s Rising, The Queen’s Resistance, and The Sisters of Sword and Song, the girls propose a new Rebecca Ross theory. Notes: Although the episode doesn’t directly relate to the Throne of Glass Universe, there is a significant spoiler for the death of a character. Please do not proceed if that will make you sad. Also, we accidentally turned on the reverb setting on our mic for about 15 minutes of this episode. Please forgive the audio quality.

Intermezzo | Ep 12

In this episode, Sam and Kai talk about Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. Was it one of the best books they read in 2024? You’ll have to listen to find out. As always, there will be spoilers in any episode where Sam and Kai do a deep dive into a book.

Local Bookstores in Utah County | Ep 11

In this episode of The Bookyard Pod, Sam and Kai talk about some of their favorite bookstores in Utah County and beyond. Join us as we take you on a tour of four bookstores building their local communities and selling amazing books. The stores included in this episode are Pioneer Book, Planted in Pages, Folklore, and Poppy Books and Gifts.

All the Colors of the Dark | Ep 10

In this episode, Sam and Kai talk about All the Colors of the Dark, a thriller that we are absolutely obsessed with. We talk about the author, the characters, and all the different aspects of the book. This is a thriller that has love stories, friendship, abuse, murder, abortion, and so much more. If you are squeamish about those topics, this may not be the episode for you. This episode contains spoilers (like all of our episodes).

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