Plans Are Booked

This week we shine a light on an author we all adore, Casey McQuiston (they / them). Steph shares how she was first introduced to Casey's writing and how quickly all of us became super fans. Kaitlin and Molly recap seeing Casey in person with the Brookline Booksmith and how that deepened our fandom. We cover Casey's gift for writing banter-fueled love stories, vivid descriptions of food and travel, and LGBTQIA+ representation. We talk about our favorite moments from Red, White & Royal Blue, I Kissed Shara Wheeler and The Pairing, including reading passages that moved us and a great idea Kaitlin hatched for a YA prequel to Casey's latest story. In our catch up this week, Molly makes an instant BFF at the hair salon, Kaitlin celebrates a best friend's 40th, and Steph tells us about a new book she's working on. We close by reading a fun listener email and asking for your personal book recommendations. Please share your favorite reads of 2024 with us at plansarebooked@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. 

This week we marvel at author Chris Whitaker's talent and share our thoughts on the story of Patch and Saint. We chat about the importance of well rounded side characters, our love for short chapters with poignant closing sentences, parallels to Forrest Gump, and the text Kaitlin found so powerful she's considering for her next tattoo. We also continue our fascination with how books are chosen for celebrity book clubs, noting Whitaker's shoutout to Jenna Bush Hager in the acknowledgements. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin gives an awesome update on her home buying journey, Steph shares about a recent equine therapy client, and Molly details every delicious thing she ate during her girls trip to Vermont. We also dish on the new seasons of Love is Blind and Heartstopper on Netflix, including a spirited debate about whether reality or scripted TV reigns supreme. To follow along with everything we're reading, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we have something extra special for you. We're debuting a line of Plans are Booked romance trope candles! We light a candle each time we record and we want to share that ritual with you. We can't wait for you to smell them, enjoy them in your home, or gift them to your reader bestie. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin recaps a wonderful wedding she went to in Connecticut, Molly details two delicious restaurant meals, and Steph shares an honest update about the querying process and how she's feeling about pursuing this book. We also rave about the new Netflix show Nobody Wants This, starring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. Then we discuss Liz Moore's newest book. We talk about the juggle of a moving timeline and multiple character perspectives. We admit that we're always reeled in by the haves and have nots. We confess our favorite character, how we felt about the ending, and what we think could make a successful screen adaptation. In what we're reading this week, Kaitlin has both a fiction and non-fiction pick, Steph tries her first Emily Henry book, and Molly returns to Lynn Painter land. To follow along with all of our recs, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us or place an order for a candle at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

It's Molly's birthday week and the Libra season energy is in full effect. We kick off with Molly sharing two book-themed gifts she's unwrapped, including one that Steph and Molly's mom conspired together to procure and secretly have delivered. Steph catches us up on the very special pup she took care of over the weekend. We close out the catch up by sharing two brand new TV shows we're loving. Next, we discuss Margo's Got Money Troubles, a book so unique and specific we had a tough time comparing it to other reads. We fell down the OnlyFans rabbit hole (not something we ever thought we'd do) and discussed how there were so many moments where the story felt like a memoir instead of a work of fiction. We also share our giddiness around it being greenlit for an 8-episode screen adaptation. In what we're reading this week, Molly admits she may have unlocked a new spice level with her latest romance pick. To follow along with all of our book recs, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we mentally transport ourselves to northern California to join Lana, Beth and Jack, the three generations of women who star in Mother-Daughter Murder Night. This debut novel from former NASA engineer Nina Simon features unlikely detectives, hilarious family dynamics, and a picturesque setting that some people will do anything to protect. We talk about the Emily and Lorelai Gilmore-like relationship between Lana and Beth, and who we'd love to see cast in a screen adaptation of this story. This is a Reese's Book Club pick and we begin to fantasize about a TV series that would show the behind-the-scenes process of being chosen for Reese, Oprah or Jenna's book clubs. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin heads to the movie theater, Steph regales us with a nightmare flying experience, and Molly admits she's been binging an insane amount of television. We close by sharing what we're currently reading, which includes books from Chris Whitaker, Casey McQuiston, and Holly Jackson. Join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked, to follow along with all our picks and send us your thoughts on this week's episode to plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we're embracing the transition to fall and donning our favorite sweatshirt + shorts combos (shout out to the OG, Princess Diana). Kaitlin shares her excitement for the return of football and the joy she's feeling from all the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce sightings. She also fills us in on the wedding she went to on the South Shore and an epic meal she had at Bianca in Newton. Steph reminisces about a blissful Labor Day weekend at the beach with Nemo and Scout, updates us on her query process for her latest book, and details a delectable breakfast at Verveine Cafe in Cambridge including the mother of all cinnamon buns. Molly unleashes the Libra energy, sharing how amped she is for birthday month. We close out our catch up by confessing our current TBR tallies, then we deep dive on Holly Gramazio's debut novel, The Husbands. We chat about her career as a video game designer, what we loved about the magical premise, and Kaitlin makes a superb suggestion about how the story should be told next. To follow along with all of our hot takes and book recs, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

Fueled by milkshakes, this week is an all out gigglefest. Steph shares her day at the barn, including getting to know some adorable, tiny kittens. Kaitlin recaps her weekend on Cape Cod, including an awesome round of golf with her mom. Molly details her annual getaway to Maine, including a growing menagerie of inflatables. Then we deep dive on a book we read in Wyoming, Wild Love by Elsie Silver. Kaitlin and Molly gush about the male lead, Ford Grant, and Steph makes a surprising confession. We talk about the allure of small town settings, the power of fated mates, and our obsession with great banter. In what we're reading this week, we each try to guess how many books are in our respective TBR piles, and then share three books across completely different genres. To follow along with all of our book recs, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. If you have an idea for a future episode, write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week we are headed west to Wyoming! We kick off our conversation by sharing a detailed recap of our trip to Jackson Hole, including making friendship bracelets at the airport, our love affair with our rental house's living room, declaring Jenny Lake the prettiest place we've ever seen in real life, buffalo sightings in Yellowstone, customizing cowboy hats, Kaitlin and Steph getting tattoos, and the restaurants you absolutely have to hit if you're planning a future visit. Then, we discuss author Lyla Sage's Rebel Blue Ranch series, which is set in Wyoming. We share our thoughts on the first two books, Done & Dusted and Swift & Saddled, and how excited we are for the next two stories in the series. In what we're reading this week, Steph picks up a Colleen Hoover book from 2013, Kaitlin tries another Erin Hahn story, and Molly finds herself holding a work of fiction that actually reads more like a 300-page poem. If you'd like to follow along with all of our recommendations, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com. 

This week is a big one: we're toasting to 40 episodes! We open by reflecting on our journey so far and sharing the things that have surprised us most about the experience. In our catch up, Steph recaps her trip to Portland for Kate Spencer's author event, Kaitlin updates us on her house hunt, and Molly recounts her weekend road trip. Next, we debrief on the TV adaptation of Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Netflix), which we all enjoyed despite its major location change. Then we deep dive on Ninth House. As Kaitlin says, "this one's for the dark academia baddies." We talk about the allure of secret societies and whether or not we like a dash of the paranormal in our stories. We close out by reading an email from a loyal listener. If you'd like to write to us, shoot a note to plansarebooked@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Instagram, @plansarebooked.

This week we're discussing a story that has dominated the book club circuit. We deep dive on Yellowface, a tale of deceit and deplorable behavior. We share our individual levels of cringe and why we think this should never be adapted for the screen. In our catch up, Molly recaps her trip to New Hampshire, Kaitlin fills us in on the Newport Folk Festival, and Steph educates us on the units of measure for the height and head size of horses. We have a passionate conversation about the highlights of the summer Olympics (Do you know the muffin man?) and share what we're reading this week. If you'd like to follow along with all of our book picks, connect with us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at plansarebooked@gmail.com.